14 
Analyses of pineapple soils. 

No. 231 No. 186 No. 187 No. 229 No. 230 
Soil constituents and reaction. (plants (plants (plants (plants (plants 
chlorotic). | healthy). | healthy). | chlorotic). | healthy). 
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 
Insoluble matter 79. 54 79.0 83. 37 80. 97 81.12 

Potash (KsOVS ee. 2 Pee es es See. eee .12 -10 .16 AT 
Hime (CaO). ..2<522:26- 2.45 4.25 .97 3. 57 1.36 
Magnesia (MgO) Trace ai Trace 17 Trace 
Ferric and aluminic oxids (Fe203 and 
BASO8) ccs Wee ee ee ae 9. 20 9.50 7.44 8. 24 11. 56 
Phosphorus pentoxid (P205)......-.--.---- -17 -12 - 09 ay -13 
Volatile matter 22.7. 3.JSo0eee 1 eae 7.85 7.42 7.19 6. 53 6. 48 
OCA wins eas een Sek Se oe eta oa cee ae ree 100. 59 99. 16 100. 35 100. 82 
Nitnopeni(N) nace... soe eet esses so seues - 20 «20 20 .14 -19 
INFGIBGIING c= 8 eens oan hoe c eat as te ea 2.30 1.93 5.77 1.45 2.27 
Carbon dioxidl(COs).. .. 2. 422. =-2- 41-8358. - 82 24 . 00 1.50 None. 
Calcium carbonate (CaCOs3).............-.- 1.86 57 - 00 3.41 None. 
Reaction to litmus... 921222... cee Alkaline. | Alkaline. | Alkaline. | Alkaline. Alkaline. 
Soil No. 186, producing fine plants, contains much lime, but only a 
small amount of carbonate of lime. No. 187, a good soil, contains 
no carbonate of lime. No. 230, also good, contains no carbonate of 
lime, whereas Nos. 229 and 231, the bad soils, contain much carbonate. 
SOIL SURVEY VIII. 
Plantation of Sucesores de Frontera, to the north of Mayaguez 
playa: About 2 acres were planted with Cabezona pineapples in a 
coconut grove bordermg the shore. The soil was a loose sand, but 
so low that the drainage was poor. About 30 per cent of the plants 
grew to maturity and bore fruit. The leaves of these plants were 
green, but narrow and spiky. Many of the other plants died or had 
light green and yellow leaves; there were only a few ivory-white 
plants. The drainage being poor and the plants not well cared for, 
no conclusion could fairly be drawn from this case alone. No. 233 
is a sample from this field. 
On the south side of Mayaguez Bay there are numerous plantings 
of Red Spanish and Cabezona pineapples in 2 and 4 acre patches. 
No examples of chlorotic plants were found there. Considering that 
most of the fields are unfertilized the plants have done fairly well. 
The soil is sandy, but ofa different character and origm from that on 
the opposite side of the bay; No. 232 is a sample. The soil at the 
south is apparently an alluvial deposit and very old, contaming no 
calcium carbonate, while the soil on the opposite shore, where the 
chlorotic plants were found, contains many coral and shell particles 
and was recently built up by the sea. 
[Bull. 11] 
