THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 



157 



PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS IN WATER SOLUBLE SALTS FROM CORAL SAND. 

 (1 part soil to 5 parts water.) 



NOTE. Analyses of samples Nos. 8 and 15 were made on fresh soil in the field, while 

 those of Nos. 9390 and 9403 were made in the laboratory, several months later, on air-dry 

 samples. 



The above results show that these soils are amply supplied with soluble 

 phosphates as compared with the soils of the Eastern United States. The 

 amounts of chlorides indicated by the two cases in which this substance was 

 sought are somewhat larger than is usually found in the soils of humid conti- 

 nental areas, but not large enough to be considered as seriously detrimental. 

 The amounts of potassium are large in samples Xos. 8 and 15, which were 

 examined almost immediately after being taken from the field, but in samples 

 Nos. 9390 and 9403, which were not examined until after they had become 

 air-dry, are about normal as compared with continental soils. A large amount 

 of water soluble potassium seems to be characteristic of tropical island soils 

 and has generally been observed in soils from other localities than the Baha- 

 mas. The discrepancy between the amounts of nitrates in the fresh and the 

 dried samples is apparently also characteristic, and in situ this soil is 

 probably very abundantly supplied with this important plant-food constituent. 



BAHAMA BLACK LOAM. 



The Bahama Black Loam, or " provision " land, as it is locally known, 

 varies from a loose brown to a jet-black loam. The typical soil consists of 

 rounded grains of coral sand with a large percentage of organic matter. A 

 phase of this type is considerably more sandy, consisting of disintegrated rock 



