76 ANALYSIS OF EARTHS FROM JAPAN. 



Chemical Analysis of the Earth of a Japanese Tea Plantation, 

 by Dr. Th. Fc. L. Nees Von Esseribeck and L. CI. Marquart* 



The earth given to us to analyse appeared a very uniform fine 

 grained mixture of a yellowish grey colour, having altogether 

 the appearance of a strong ferruginous clay, in which no 

 mixture of sand was perceptible to the naked eye. After the 

 removal of two small stones, one porphyry and the other 

 grauwacke, the weight of the earth amounted to 462 grains. 

 The specific gravity was decided at 2 325. 200 grains of air- 

 dried earth absorbed 165 grains of water. Of this water, in the 

 first five hours, under a temperature of from 15° to 18° Reaumur, 

 31 grains were lost ; after 24 hours, 100 grains ; after 48 hours, 

 still 24 grains remained ; and not till after 72 hours had all the 

 water disappeared. 



Of these 200 grains, the parts soluble in cold water amounted to 

 scarcely one-eighth of a grain, consisting of humus and lime, with 

 traces of muriatic and sulphuric acid, clay and iron. 



[Then follows a minute description of the analysis, giving the 

 undermentioned result.] 



On placing together the constituent parts of the earth, we 

 find the following results. 100 grains of the earth contain 

 Silicious earth - - - - - 53 grs. 



Oxyde of iron - - - - - 9 



Clay - - - - - - 22 



Oxyde of manganese and magnesia - 0^ 



Gypsum - - - - - 01 



Humus - - - - - 1 



Phosphoric acid, traces of. 



Hygrometric water - - - - 14 



[He adds in a note.] On another portion of the earth we 

 succeeded in proving evident traces of kali. It does not appear, 

 however, as a fresh soluble combination of salt in the earth, but 

 is undoubtedly combined with clay and silex. 



After we had by these means analysed the earth in its consti- 



* See Von Siebold's Nippon, part vi. p. 17. 



