30 



Diseases of Truck Crops 



plete decomposition is impossible, because of the 

 absence of air and the accumulation of plant acids 

 which contain antiseptic properties. 



The chemical composition of peaty soils, as given 

 by Conner and Abbot, 1 may be seen in Table 5. 



Table 5 



Chemical Analyses of Different Types of Unproductive 



Black Soils. 



Substance determined 



Insoluble & soluble silica, etc. 



Potash (K 2 0) 



Lime (CaO) 



Magnesia (MgO) 



Iron oxide (Fe 2 3 ) 



Aluminum oxide (Al 2 3 ) 



Phosphoric acid (P 2 0s) 



Sulphur trioxide (S0 3 ) 



Carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) 



Volatile matter 



Total nitrogen 



Total potash (K 2 0) 



Phosphoric acid soluble in 

 N/jHCl 



Total humus 



Acid humus 



Acidity in pounds calcium car- 

 bonate (CaC0 3 ) per acre foot 



Hygroscopic moisture 



Kind of Sail 



Acid 

 peal 



IO.4O 



23 



1.86 



.26 



2.87 



.36 



49 

 .20 



83.16 

 3.82 



34 



.032 

 30.68 

 27.74 



1940.00 

 11.82 



Neutral 

 Peat 



9.OO 

 .12 



3.89 

 52 



4.27 

 .40 

 .28 



.63 

 8I.I6 



3-51 

 .26 



.0506 



25-55 

 3.22 



360.00 

 18.57 



Acid 

 peaty 

 sand 



88.63 

 .14 

 .08 

 .II 



3-25 

 .08 

 .04 

 .10 



8.16 

 .28 



1.62 



.0058 

 4.86 

 4.64 



3500.00 

 1.65 



Neutral 

 Peaty 

 sand 



71 



47 

 28 



5-91 

 1.31 



5-03 

 .21 



4.42 



.22 



12.16 



57 



1-25 



.037 



4.72 

 none 



none 

 3-30 



From the table it is evident that the chemical 

 composition is not the same for all peaty soils. This 

 is naturally to be expected, since no two soils are 



1 Conner, S. D., and Abbot, J. B., Purdue Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 

 157 : vol. 16, 1912. 



