and a Soil suitable to its Culture. 9 



It will be seen that this soil contained no less than 95 per 

 cent, of insoluble siliceous matter, chiefly in the form of fine 

 quartz-sand. The proportion of all the other constituents is, 

 therefore, necessarily very small indeed. Thus we find in it 

 hardly more than traces of potash, little phosphoric acid, and 

 barely any lime a constituent which is seldom so deficient in 

 any soil. 



As the field had received a dressing of farmyard manure pre- 

 vious to the sowing of the seed, some of the phosphoric acid, 

 lime, and potash probably are due to the manure. Analysed in 

 its natural condition, it is likely to exhibit in a still more 

 striking manner this general deficiency of all the more important 

 and valuable soil-constituents. Notwithstanding, it produced a 

 luxuriant crop of lupines, weighing in a green state about 

 21 tons per acre. 



The small proportion of sulphate and carbonate of lime in 

 this soil is striking, and it is certainly remarkable that the 

 crop, nevertheless, succeeded well. Leguminous crops, to which 

 lupines belong, are, generally speaking, much improved by a 

 dressing of gypsum or lime. I cannot help thinking, therefore, 

 that a good dose of one of these substances may increase the pro- 

 duce and materially improve the feeding qualities of this crop. 

 It may be partially due to the almost total absence of sulphuric 

 acid and lime in this soil that the analysis of the lupines has not 

 furnished more favourable results. My reason for throwing out 

 this suggestion is based on the fact that every description of 

 agricultural produce is increased by applying lime in some 

 shape or other to land which is peculiarly deficient in this sub- 

 stance, and on the no less important observation of good farmers 

 that turnips grown on land very poor in lime possess a low feed- 

 ing value. 



Whilst recommending the use of gypsum or lime as a means 

 of increasing the produce and improving its quality on land like 

 that on which the experimental lupines were grown, I would 

 mention, however, that chalky and marly soils, according to the 

 experience of trustworthy men, do not appear to be well adapted 

 to this crop. It is likewise stated that land in too high condi- 

 tion does not suit it, and that on wet or imperfectly-drained 

 land lupines do not succeed. 



A deep, porous, naturally dry or perfectly-drained soil is 

 essentially requisite for growing the crop to perfection, and as 

 chalky and marly soils often rest on impervious clays or wet 

 peat, it is probably due to these latter, and not to the excess of 

 lime, that lupines fail in chalky or marly soils. 



From the preceding observations, the following general con- 

 clusions may be drawn : 



