. 



ON THE 



CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS. 



THERE are many persons who, on reading the papers which from 

 time to time appear in our chemical and agricultural journals on 

 the powers of soils to absorb manuring matters, receive the im- 

 pression that sandy soils have not the power of retaining ammonia, 

 whilst clay soils are imbued with this property in so eminent a 

 degree, that no amount of rain is capable of removing any of the 

 ammonia absorbed by them. 



These impressions, though natural, are not founded on fact. 

 It will be one of the objects of this communication to show by 

 many experiments the fallacy upon which these erroneous impres- 

 sions are based. 



If soluble fertilizing matters were rendered completely insoluble 

 when brought into contact with the soil, it would indeed be 

 difficult to understand the use of soluble manuring matters, or to 

 doubt the policy of resorting to mechanical means of cultivation, 

 such as subsoiling, stirring, &c., which have the effect of render- 

 ing soluble mineral matters contained in the soil in an insoluble 

 state. But does not daily experience teach us that such fertilizers 

 are much more effective than the same materials in an insoluble 

 or partially soluble condition ? 



It has indeed been stated by a high authority, that since soluble 

 fertilizing matters are rendered insoluble in contact with soil, 

 plants must have the power of taking up their food from the soil 

 in some other form than that of simple solution. It is here taken 

 for granted that soluble matters become quite insoluble in contact 

 with soil. Many people, on being told that plants do not take 

 up their food from the soil in the state of simple solution, assume 

 that they take it up in a solid form. 



B 



