296 SOIL TYPES [chap. 



in the soil survey, is the proportion of lime normal to 

 each soil type ; knowing this factor, and the retentivity 

 of the soil for moisture under ordinary conditions of 

 rainfall, one can decide upon the character of the 

 manures for most loamy soils. Soils of more specific 

 character, like the sands or clays, present more character- 

 istic deficiencies of some of the manurial constituents, so 

 that for many crops the use of manures like phosphates 

 and potash is wholly determined by the soil and not the 

 crop. 



It is not too much to say that the information as 

 to the manuring which is being accumulated at many 

 experimental centres throughout the \ country can only 

 be rendered properly available by the execution of 

 a soil survey in the district under consideration. In 

 many countries a soil survey has been made part of 

 the national service for the agriculturist; the mag- 

 nificent publications of the Division of Soils of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture form a case 

 in point. In Prussia, the maps and reports of the 

 Laboratorium fur Bodenkunde at Berlin may be con- 

 sulted as models of the thoroughness and refinement 

 to which work of this kind can be pushed ; the 

 Gembloux Station in Belgium is executing a system- 

 atic chemical survey of the Belgian soils. In France, 

 the work rests with the local authorities of each 

 Department, but in parts is being carried out, 

 as witness the beautiful maps due to the single- 

 handed work of M. Gaillon, Director of the Station 

 Agronomique de TAisne at Laon. In Britain the 

 great initial want is the publication of drift maps 

 of the geological survey on the 6-inch scale; the 

 I -inch to the mile survey, which alone has been 

 published, or even executed in most districts, is too 

 small to admit of necessary detail. It is also very 



