82 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



Very fine s,fuceou sand with scales of 



mica .... 



Earth separated by the sieve 



100 parts of the earth contain : 



Silica - ... 



Alumina - - - - 



Peroxide and protoxide of iron 



Peroxide of manganese 



Carbonate of lime " 



Carbonate of magnesia 



Potash combined with silica 



Soda, principally combined with silica - 



Phosphoric acid combined with lime 



Sulphuric acid, idem 



Chlorine in common salt '" 



Humus soluble in alkalies 



Humus with nitrogenous organic matter 



59-581 

 . 3-224 

 4-896 

 0-720 

 17-953 

 11-075 

 0-150 

 0-891 

 0-846 

 - 0-004 

 0-004 

 0-536 

 0-120 



100-000 

 BELGIUM. 



38. Surface-soil of a field distinguished 

 for its fertility. It had received no manure 

 for twelve years previous to the time at 

 which the analysis was executed. The ro- 

 tation of crops for the latter nine years was 

 as follows : 1. beans, 2. barley, 3. potatoes, 

 4. winter barley with red clover, 5. clover, 

 6. winter barlev, 7. wheat, 8. oats ; during 

 the ninth year it was allowed to lie fallow. 

 The soil is more clayey than loamy, and of 

 a very fine grain. Water extracted from 

 the soil, 0-013 soda, 0-002 lime, 0-012 mag- 

 nesia, 0-009 sulphuric acid, 0-003 potash, 

 0-003 chlorine, with traces of silica and hu- 

 mus. 100 parts contained : 



Silica - - - ' 64-517 



Alumina - - ... 4'810 



Peroxide and protoxide of iron 8*316 



Peroxide of manganese "- 0'800 



Carbonate of lime . * ' - - 9'403 



Carbonate of magnesia - - 10'361 



Potash, principally combined with silica O'lOO 



Soda .... 0-013 



Phosphoric acid - *'.^ 1-221 



Sulphuric acid - ' - 0'009 



Chlorine - ;<>' - 0"003 



Humus - ... 0-447 



i ric acid, potash, soda, and manganese. All 



2-408 I O f these must have been present in the soil 



. 97-592 | f or we are informed that it produced good 



mn.nnn ' hops, for which these ingredients are indis- 



1UU UUU * j -i 



pensable. 



40. A good turnip soil from Holkham, 



Norfolk, yielded to Davy : 



! Siliceous sand 



Silica ... 



Alumina 

 Peroxide of iron, 

 Carbonate of lime 

 Vegetable and saline matter 

 Moisture 



100-000 



ENGLAND. 



39. Surface-soil of a vey fertile sandy 

 field from the vicinity of Tunbridge, Kent, 

 according to Davy. 100 parts consisted 

 of: 



Loose stones and gravel 



Sand and silica 



Alumina ... 



Peroxide of iron - 



Carbonate of lime 



Carbonate of magnesia 



Common salt and extractive matter 



Gypsum 

 Mai 



latter destructible by heat 

 Vegetable fibre 

 Water - 

 Loss .... 



13-250 

 58-250 

 3-250 

 1-250 

 4.750 

 0.750 

 0-750 

 0-500 

 3750 

 3-500 

 5-000 

 5-000 



1-666 

 1-222 

 0-334 

 7-000 

 0-556 

 0-334 



lOO'OOO 



In this case also, phosphoric acid, man- 

 ganese, potash, magnesia, &c., have es- 

 aped detection by this acute chemist ; yet 

 doubtless they must be present in the sorl, 

 or we are informed that it produces good 



turnips. 

 41. An 



excellent wheat soil from the 



neighbourhood of West Drayton, Middle- 

 Davy. 100 parts con- 



sex, according to 

 tained : 



Sand and silica 

 Alumina ^ - 

 Carbonate of lime 

 Humus and moisture 



- 72-800 

 11-600 



- 11-200 



4.400 



100-000 



The great Davy, who was convinced of 

 te importance of the inorganic constituents 

 f soils, has omitted to detect the phospho- 



100-000 



This analysis has been executed so imper- 

 fectly, that it only conveys a very feeble 

 representation of the nature of the soil. A 

 soil which bears good wheat must contain 

 phosphate of potash, soda, chlorine, and 

 sulphuric acid yet none of these are exhi- 

 bited by the analysis. 



42. Suiface-soil of a fertile field in the 

 neighbourhood of Bristol. 100 parts con 

 tained : 



Silica and siliceous sand ' 



Alumina **" . *, 



Peroxide of iron - ^ 



Lime (carbonate) ... 



Magnesia 



Humus .... 



Saline and extractive matter 



Water - - - 



100-000 



Davy has made several analyses of vari- 

 ous fertile soils, and since his time numerous 

 other analyses have been published; but 

 they are all so superficial, and in most cases 

 so inaccurate, that we possess no means of 

 ascertaining the composition or nature of 

 English arable land. 



SWEDEN. 



43. Surface-soil of a field wbich produces 

 the most abundant crops, and has never 

 been manured. (Berzelius.) 100 parts con- 

 sist of: 



Siliceous sand .... 57"90G 



Silica H-500 



Alumina 2'00(> 



Phosphates of lime nd iron - 6'00<? 



Carbonate of lime - - 11.10* 



Carbonate of magnesia 

 Insoluble extractive matter 1*250 



