36 



VALUE OF SOIL ANALYSES. 



Both Mr. Bamber's and my own results are however almost 

 entirely derived from analysis of soils obtained from various tea 

 gardens of Ceylon and Assam, and it remains to consider how far 

 such analyses' can be of value in the decision of such points as 

 the suitability of land for planting, or the manuring requisite for such 

 land. In the early days of agricultural chemistry it was supposed 

 that analyses of soil properly conducted would enable one to lay 

 down absolutely and exactly the quantity and kind of manure that 

 any particular soil would require. This was found, however, speedily 

 to be a vain hope dozens of considerations entered into the 

 question of the fertility of land beyond the mere relative quantity 

 of chemical constituents present or not present, and these often 

 absolutely invalidated the result which the analyses showed. 

 Soil analysis therefore fell into disrepute, and little weight was 

 attached to it for many years, But it must be remembered that they 

 were originally conducted on soils of the most complicated character, 

 on land which had been cultivated for unknown generations, and 

 without a standard of what the land had originally been. The 

 alternative method of valuing a soil by dividing it off into plots and 

 weighing the produce with various manures was, however, extremely 

 cumbrous and was beset with so many possibilities of error that this 

 too has had to be given up as a practical means of testing a soil. 



Opinion therefore has veered round in favour of soil analysis 

 with certain limitations, and it is now generally recognised that 

 in dealing with virgin soils, or with soils which have recently been 

 virgin, this method can give results of the utmost importance and 

 value. And I think that one is almost as justified in basing 

 opinions as to the requirements of tea in the shape of soil from the 

 results of the analyses of a sufficient number of samples from 

 virgin and old land, as if a large number of cultural experiments 

 had been performed. The latter method will have to be used 

 before a complete understanding of the question of the nutrition 

 of the tea plant for the production of the maximum amount of the 

 highest quality leaf is obtained, but in the meantime the analysis 

 of the soils will afford a very valuable guide to what is necessary. 



It cannot however be expected that soil analysis will ever be 

 able to say exactly how many pounds of such and such manure 

 will make up for deficiencies caused by exhaustion or unsuitability 



