Dr. Voelcker's Notes. 



209 



Third Note by De. Voelokee. 



The inquiry has gone on, a fresh sample of the soil being 

 taken each year until 1907, the spot chosen being in each case 

 close to where the previous year's sample was obtained. The 

 soil, after reaching my laboratory, was carefully compared with 

 the samples of the earlier years, and the general appearance, 

 nature of surface growth, colour, depth of rooting, and state of 

 moisture observed. Smaller samples of the first six inches from 

 the surface were then taken, dried, and prepared for analysis. 

 The following table gives the analytical restdts for each year : — 



It cannot be maintained that more than general conclusions 

 can be drawn from the above figures, for there are, necessarily, 

 features which prevent the soil taken one year from a certain 

 spot being strictly comparable with that taken from an adjoining 

 spot in a different year. But a general review of the figures 

 makes it abundantly apparent that the soil is not undergoing 

 deterioration in respect of organic matter or nitrogen ; but that 

 in 1907 it was even richer than it was in the earlier years. 

 Further, the analysis of the second depth of six inches of soU, 

 taken in 1903, shows that in the lower layers there were good 

 supplies both of organic matter and of nitrogen. 



The main point to be remembered, however, is that the 

 vegetable matter, instead of being, as shown in the case of the 

 old Cheviot turf (see note of November, 1900), stored up in the 

 top surface and remaining there more or less ia an inactive and 

 useless state, is, under the system pursued by Mr. Elliot, 

 becoming distributed more regularly throughout the soU, and is 

 at the same time being rendered active and available. The same 

 holds good, as a consequence, with respect to the nitrogeli, this 

 being largely derived from the organic matter. 



The mere richness of a particular layer in organic matter and 

 in nitrogen — as shown by the figures of an analysis — ^is not 



