30 H, P. Armsby— Absorption of Bases by¥the Soil. 
The latter is Soni what occurs in soil- Robeson or the ab- 
sorption of bases by pure silicates, and hence we may safely say 
that the variations caused by the volume and concentration are 
due to the influence of mass on a primarily chemical Rhee 
This view has already been suggested by Ad. Mayer (Lehr- 
buch der Agricultur-chemie, ii, p. 93). It receives gee ar” 
from the researches of Gladstone already alluded to. He added 
to a solution of ferric nitrate increasing portions of potassium 
sulpho-cyanate and found that each successive addition pro- 
duced less and less ferric sulpho-cyanate, but that the ferric 
nitrate was never completely decomposed. His results repre- 
sented graphically give a curve essentially like patent for ab- 
sorption already described. 
According to this view it is the accumulation of sodium 
chloride in the solution which prevents the further absorption 
of lime by the silicate. If then sodium chloride were added to 
the solution in the first pe we should expect the absorption 
to be less. To test this (VII) was repeated with the addition 
of 0°1700 grms. NaCl (about equivalent to the CaCl, present) 
to each experiment. The following results were obtained. 
without NaCl. Abs. with NaCl 
25 grms 0°1151 grms. 0°1039 grms. 
1°2 5 0663 “ 0595 “ 
0625 “ 00359 “ 0°0303 “ 
0°3125 “ wood = 00143 
exchange of 
the soil. 
This ere ae which is primarily chemical, is only partial, 
its extent varyin 
1st. With the ao cas of the solution 
2d. With the ratio between the volume of the solution and 
the quantity Ag us 
a f these variations is probably the “action of 
mass,” or the _ tendency of the resulting compounds to re-form 
the original bodies, the absorption actually found in any case 
marking the point where the two forces are in equilibrium. 
Laboratory of Rutgers College, May, 1877. 
