PLANT-FOOD MATERIALS IN SOILS 



91 



Table 17. — Composition of Some Arable Soils Based on 

 Ultimate Analyses 



The soils whose analyses are stated in the table given above 

 are all from arable land and while they represent wide differ- 

 ences in some of their constituents none of them is so deficient 

 in any plant nutrient as to prevent it from producing crops. 

 Comparing the quantities of the constituents of these soils, we 

 find that in the Illinois soils the lime varies from 28,644 

 pounds to 104,636 pounds in 2,000,000 pounds of soil. In Ohio 

 the same constituent ranges from 4480 to 78,772 pounds 

 with nearly as low a minimum in New York. The nitrogen 

 in Ohio rises from a minimum of 186 pounds to a maximum of 

 3844 pounds while the maximum for Illinois is 6480 pounds. 

 The greatest range of phosphoric acid is from 966 pounds to 

 14,008 pounds, both of which soils occur in the same state. 



Another fact brought out by this table is that a soil may 

 be rich in one ingredient and poor in another, also that soils 

 lying near together may differ more in composition than do 

 soils that are widely separated. 



1 Ohio Experiment Station Bui. 261. 

 » Illinois Soil Report No. 10. 



» Illinois Soil Report No. 2. 



