686 



In four hours. 

 Per cent. 



3 2 

 3 2 

 28 



21 

 II 



Time required to evaporate 

 90 per cent. 



ii hrs. 17 min. 



*5 n 

 5 1 n 

 33 i. 



II 



12 



Pure grey clay 



Loam 



Fine calcium carbonate 



Humus 



Magnesium carbonate... n 33 



Light soils are not able to stand a drought or a dry season. 

 To improve light soils, dressing with clay, a liberal use of well- 

 rotted farmyard manure, also ploughing in green crops, makes them 

 more retentive. Carbonate of lime (ground limestone), and magnesium 

 salts assist both the absorptive and retentive powers of a soil. 



Plants not only have special likings for certain kinds of food, 

 but they have also special likings for certain soils, at least they 

 thrive best on certain soils. 



Wheat thrives best in a clay soil. 



Oats and clover in heavy and compact soil. 



Barley and turnips in open and free loam. 



Maize in open, free and even sandy soil. 



Potatoes in open rich sandy soil. 



Rye in sandy soil. 



Rice in a stiff, wet, impervious soil. 



Beans and peas in stiff, well drained clay. 



Cocoa tree in a sandy soil of the coast. 



Cotton in dry open alluvial, dry and porous uplands, hot, 

 and somewhat droughty climate. 



Tea plant on warm 

 from clay. 



Earth nut in light sandy soil. 



Oil palms in moist sea sand. 



Cinnamon tree in almost pure sand. 



Hops in fat and fruitful land, open, rich, and calcareous loam. 



Date in sandy but well watered places. 



Coffee in rich dry soils and warm situations. 



Although they do best in these classes of soils the most of them 

 can adapt themselves to other soils, but generally with a change as 

 to quality and quantity. It is well known to farmers that different 

 districts, or in other words, different soils, influence not only the 

 quantity of a crop, but also the quality. 



Oats grown on a clay are of the best quality. Barley on a clay 

 land may give a good crop, but the quality is not so good for 

 malting as thai gn>\vn on sandy marls. Potatoes grown on clay 

 soils arc gene-rally waxy, and those on sandy soils mealy. The late 

 Prof. T. Anderson investigated the influence of different soils on 

 turnips, as to their quality for feeding stock. He examined those 

 grown on heavy clay land. Second. Those grown on the black land 

 between the clay land and the hill land. Third. Those grown on the 

 hill land or light loam. He found that those grown on the light 



sloping banks, or light dry loam, free 





