34 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



THE SOILS OF NEW SOUTH WALES.* 



The following notes on the characteristics of the soils typical of different 

 districts of the State must be regarded as of a provisional nature. They are 

 based on examination of a large number of soils from the different districts, 

 in some cases forwarded by farmers, and in others collected by ourselves. The 

 soils chosen have in all cases been virgin soils, with the exception of those 

 carrying certain crops, such as lucerne, tobacco, &c, and those which exhibit 

 any peculiar divergence from the type soil have been rejected, so that those 

 on which the following notes are basrd may be regarded as typical ones. The 

 work is now being carried on more systematically, and for some years one 

 officer was engaged in a systematic collection and examination of soils 

 representative both of different rock formations and also those typically 

 suited to various crops, such as wheat, lucerne, &c. The following notes 

 provide a fairly good idea of the general nature of many of the typical soils, 

 their peculiarities and possibilities. 



The table here given shows the average amount of plant food and some of 

 the chief characteristics of some typical New South Wales soils. 



Table showing Average Composition of Soils from Different Localities in 

 New South Wales. 



F. B. Guthrie, Chemist to the Department of Agriculture, New South Wales. 



