62 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



The mechanical analysis of the soils used in our experiments 

 with roses is shown in the preceding table. Five of the beds 

 in section II., beds A to E, contained soils represented by No. 

 71, which is a fairly typical Amherst loam, the analysis being 

 made from a composite sample taken from each of the five beds, 

 and contains 1.71 per cent, of clay. The remaining five beds, 

 section I., were filled with selected soil of different textures. 

 These were all obtained from the \4cinity of the experiment 

 station, but were different in texture and appearance from our 

 typical loams. All were thoroughly mixed with about one- 

 third cow manure. The character of the soils in beds A to E, 

 section L, was as follows: — 



Soil No. 70, bed A, was obtained from near the banks of the 

 Connecticut River, and was higher in clay than No. 71. Silt 

 and very fine sand, however, predominated in this type. 



Soil No. 69, bed B, was obtained from a forest near by and 

 was rich in vegetable matter as a result of many years' accumu- 

 lation of decayed roots, leaves and twigs, and was very dark in 

 appearance. It was characterized by considerable amounts of 

 clay and very fine sand, which was the result of wash from 

 higher elevations. 



Soil No. 68, bed C, procured 6 feet below the surface, was 

 very compact, containing little organic matter, and would be 

 designated as hardpan. Very fine sand predominated in this 

 soil, which also contained 10 per cent, of clay. 



Soil No. 67, bed C, was a modified local soil obtained from 

 what was originally a muck meadow which at one time was 

 overflowed with water, but later reclaimed. It had received 

 some wash in times past, was dark in appearance, and more or 

 less compact. For some years it had been growing excellent 

 crops of grass, but the year before Ave obtained it had been 

 ploughed up and reseeded. Our sample was taken from the 

 surface and contained the old and new seeded soil, well de- 

 composed. Fine sand and silt predominated and the soil con- 

 tained a little more clay than No. 71. 



Soil No. 66, bed E, was the same as No. 68, except that 

 besides the one-third cow manure, one-third finely pulverized 

 sod was added. 



All of the soils in section T. contained more clay than our 



