88 



SCIENCE AND SOIL 



TABLE 18. COMPOSITION OF SOUTHERN INDIANA SURFACE SOILS 

 Pounds per Acre in 2 Million of Soil (About 6f Inches Deep) 



Aside from the bottom lands, these soils are as a rule markedly 

 acid. The residual soil derived from limestone and shale is rich in 

 phosphorus, and the bottom lands are also well supplied with that 

 element. On the other soils much commercial fertilizer, chiefly 

 bone meal and acid phosphate, is already being used. The upland 

 silt loams are becoming very deficient in nitrogen and organic 

 matter. Two analyses of the shale underlying some of the residual 

 soils show an average potassium content of 64,500 pounds and 

 only 3000 pounds of total calcium, in 2 million of shale. 



The rolling residual soil derived from shale (Volusia silt loam) 

 and the level or gently undulating loessial soil (Miami silt loam) 

 are very acid. 



A residual soil of sandstone origin is found in Martin, Lawrence, 

 and some adjoining counties. In his discussion of Indiana soil 

 types, Mr. Charles W. Shannon makes the following suggestive 

 statement: 



" Large amounts of planer dust from the stone mills are being used as a 

 lime application on the various soils with good results. The most noted of 

 these experiments are in cases where from 1000 to 2000 pounds per acre of 

 the dust was applied to fields of alfalfa and clover, and as a result much 

 better stands were secured than in parts without the lime. This is a cheap 

 source of lime for those who have access to the mills." 



As an average of 21 analyses the Ohio Experiment Station 

 (Bulletin 150) finds, in 2 million pounds of the surface soil on the 

 Station farm at Wooster, 1880 pounds of total nitrogen and 920 

 pounds of acid-soluble phosphorus; and Ohio Circular No. 79 re- 



