38 THE farmers' handbook. 



are want of lime, tendency to sourness, and deficiency in humus, and where 

 all these defects occur in the same soil it may be necessary to have recourse 

 to all the above plans for ameliorating it. 



The above remarks apply only to the treatment of the soil preparatory to 

 manuring. The question of the proper manure to apply, and the quantities, 

 depends upon the crop it is required to grow and not upon the soil. But in 

 order to obtain the full benefit from the use of fertilisers it is necessary first 

 that the land should be in good condition. 



COUNTY CAMDEN. 



The soils of County Camden are for the most part derived from the 

 Hawkesbury sandstone, which forms the country rock over most of the 

 county. To the north of Picton, Wianamatta shale is the prevailing forma- 

 tion, and more or less extensive outcrops of volcanic rocks, chiefly basic, 

 occur in different parts. 



Thus the soils about Bowral and M ittagong, Exeter, Wingello, and a few 

 other places are frequently of volcanic origin. 



In the south-east portion of the county and more or less along the coast 

 are the Bulli coal measures. Only a few soils, however, have been received 

 for examination which can be regarded as having been derived from Permo- 

 Carboniferous rocks, and these will not be included in the summary. 



By far the largest number of the soils examined have been derived from 

 Hawkesbury sandstone, and the following table gives the average chemical 

 composition of such a soil calculated from a large number of soils examined 

 from different parts of County Camden, excluding those derived from vol- 

 canic areas or from the coal measures : — 



Average Composition of Virgin Soils from County Camden. 



Nature of soil ... ... ... Light sandj- loam to clay loam. 



Reaction of soil .. Neutral to strongly acid. (42 per cent, of the soils 



examined were strongly acid.) 



Capacity for water ... = 49*73 per cent. 



Organic matter — 11 23 ,, 



Lime ... ... ... = '113 ,, 



Potash ... = 102 ,, 



Phosphoric acid ... = '171 ,, 



Nitrogen... ... ... = '231 ,, 



As might have been expected, the soils are very similar to those of County 

 Cumberland derived from the Hawkesbury sandstone, the Camden soils 

 being as a rule better supplied with humus than the Cumberland ones, and 

 possessing consequently more nitrogen and a higher capacity for retaining 

 water. In lime, potash, and phosphates they are also slightly but consistently 

 higher, and, generally speaking, are more fertile soils. 



General Treatment. 



With regard to the treatment which will bring the land into the best 

 condition and increase its natural fertility, much the same remarks apply as 

 in the case of the Cumberland soils. The first essential is the addition of 

 lime, in which this type of soil is deficient, and the addition of which, besides 

 supplying this ingredient, counteracts the acidity of sour soils, renders 

 certain mineral food-stuff soluble, improves the texture of the soils, and 

 promotes nitrification. 



