v.] . EARLY AND LATE SOILS 157 



to maturity nor is growth checked so soon in the 

 autumn, the period of development is prolonged until 

 in some cases the season becomes unsuitable for 

 ripening. Many subtle differences may be noticed 

 between the quality of produce grown upon early and 

 late soils; for example, a comparison made by the 

 author of the same variety of apple grown upon 

 adjoining clay and sandy soils showed that the apples 

 from the clay land were smaller and greener, but 

 contained a greater proportion of sugar and acid, 

 and possessed a higher aroma than the apples grown 

 upon the lighter and earlier soil. Wheat grown on 

 the clays is generally of better quality and " stronger " 

 than that yielded by the lighter soils ; whereas the 

 lighter soils yield the finer barley, in which carbo- 

 hydrates and not nitrogenous materials are characteristic 

 of high quality. On a light soil, becoming both warm 

 and dry early in the season, the plant ceases the sooner 

 to draw nutrient material from the soil ; assimilation, 

 however, continues after the plant has ceased to feed ; 

 finally, maturation the removal of the previously 

 elaborated material into the seed begins earlier and 

 can be more thoroughly accomplished. Hence grain 

 from an early soil is, on the whole, characterised by 

 a higher proportion of carbohydrate to albuminoid, 

 always provided that no excessive or premature dry. 

 ing-out has taken place, for that ripens off the grain 

 before the transference of starch has been completed. 



It is impossible, however, in the present state of 

 our knowledge to disentangle the effects of the soil 

 proper from the other factors of climate and environ- 

 ment. Thus in considering the composition and quality 

 of grain, while the varying chemical composition of 

 different soils, whether natural or due to manuring, have 

 little effect upon the character of the grain, variations 



