Ix 



INTRODUCTION. 



■m 



tivation of a large collection of plants on various kinds of soil, tend to'confirm the opinion, that 

 the fitness or unfitness of particular soils for particular plants, depends, in a general sense, on 

 the due proportions of sand, and impalpable earthy matter, of which they consist. If writers, 

 therefore, on the comparative produce of plants, whether of the farm or the garden, would only 

 thus far describe the nature of the soils employed in their experiments, the benefit of it would 

 be felt, and duly appreciated, by every practical person ; but more so, by those who wish to 

 repeat such experiments. But misconception with respect to the nature of soils employed i 

 experiments, must be effectually prevented, by ascertaining the number and proportion of th 

 constituent parts, because the smallest difference in the natural qualities of soils is thereby 

 detected. It would surely assist in raising the art of Agriculture to the certainty of science, if^ 

 in all experiments on the comparative produce of plants, the intimate nature or the son, as well 

 as the properties of the subsoil, were accurately determined. 



The following details are intended to shew the nature of those soils which have been em- 

 ployed in this series of experiments on grasses. 



m 



e 



I. Poor Siliceous Sandy Soil. 



400 grains deprived of its moisture, consisted of, 



Eine sand, chiefly siliceous * - - 



Carbonate of lime, or chalk . - - 



Decomposing vegetable matter destructable by fire 

 Silica, or the earth of flints 



Alumina, or the pure matter of clay 



Oxide of iron - - - _ 



Soluble matter, principally saline 



Loss 



337 grains, 



4 

 32 

 10 



5 



8 



400 



II. Siliceous Sandy Soil, or Hungry Saiid. 



400 grains, deprived of moisture, gave of 



Fine siliceous sand - - _ 



Carbonate of lime, or chalk 



Decomposing vegetable matter destructable by fire 

 Silica, or the matter of pure clay 



r 



Alumina, or pure clay 



Oxide of iron - - - - . 



Soluble vegetable and saline matters - 



Los; 



/ 



H \ 



355 grains 

 4 



6 



11 

 6 



3 



3 



12 



400 



Ois. This soil, which was comparatively barren without the frequent application of hrff 

 por ,„„s of manure, and which had only a transient effect, was permanently fctilized by .b« 



anDllcatlon of tpnamnnc i^loTr /M^ TV \ ^ -^ "^ 



(No. IX.) 



