22 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



Sandy Matter (silica). It is a plant food to sonic 

 extent. The greater or lesser proportion of silica in a soil 

 indicates whether it can be worked easily. 



What Chemistry Tells Us. The foregoing, with water 

 sufficient to maintain the food in a fluid state, are, 

 practically, all the materials with which the agriculturist 

 need make himself acquainted, as plant foods that he 

 must have present in the desired proportions or he cannot 



?et the quality of grass, crops, or fruit trees he aims at. 

 lants absorb them in varying proportions, but all require 

 some of each. When in the accompanying analysis the 

 presence of ammonia, potash, phosphates, sulphuric acid 

 are indicated by " Traces," there is, for the time, likely to 

 be a sufficiency of these substances for grasses and fruits, 

 but not for grain or root crops, and they should be supplied 

 with other manures. Mere " Traces " of lime are not 

 sufficient for grass or any other purpose. It can be supplied 

 direct in the form of newly slacked lime or as bone 

 manure. The latter is the better form for sandy or thin 

 soils. 



Some Representative Soils of New South Wales. 

 A few of the analyses made for the little work, 

 " Grazing, Farm and Garden Soils of New South Wales," 

 which can be had for Is. from Batson and Co., Ltd., 

 Sydney, are here appended. The first soil dealt with 

 was taken from the excellently worked garden of Mr. 

 H. Heard, some three miles from the pretty town of 

 Ryde, on the Parramatta River. It is typical of a very 

 large area of the metropolitan shale series of the Ryde, 

 Lane Cove, Seven Hills, and Parramatta districts. The red 

 colour is due to iron. It is a good sound loam, and seems 

 more clayey in composition than analysis shows the state 

 to be in reality. The native timbers in the district include 

 the eucalyptus generally, the gum and box trees being of 

 great size. Oak, cherry, hickory, and black butt are still 

 seen. Until cleared of the native timber, which costs from 

 7 to 10 per acre, there is very little pasture land, but the 

 leading grasses present indicate the character of the soil 

 very clearly, and that draining and liming are the first 

 requirements. 



