THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 



163 



PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS IN WATER-SOLUBLE SALTS FROM BAHAMA STONY 



LOAM. 



Note. — ^Analysis of sample No. 16 was made on fresh soil in the field, while that of sample 

 No. 9415 was made in the laboratory, several months later, on an air-dry sample. 



These figures show that this type of soil contains very large amounts of 

 the most important mineral plant-food constituents, readily soluble in water. 

 In fact, the amount of readily soluble material is probably sufficient to prove 

 positively injurious to ordinary crops, and it seems not improbable that the 

 unproductiveness of the type is chiefly due to this cause. 



Bahama Red Loam. 



The Bahama Red Loam, locally called " red land," or " pineapple land," 

 although it does not cover so large an area as the Bahama Black Loam, is the 

 most important soil of the Islands, being very productive and durable. It 

 consists of a red loam or red clay loam, sometimes even approaching a clay in 

 texture. It is generally deeper than the other residual soils of the Islands. 



It occurs usually as small areas — often too small to be shown on the 

 map — in the Bahama Black Loam. These^^as a rule, occupy the level lull tops 

 or the lower slopes of hills, and often, as is the ease on Watlings Island, the 

 soil has been deposited in the small lakes or ponds, showing that the forma- 

 tion is often the drift or wash from higher surrounding lands. On Eleu- 

 thera and Cat Islands, however, the areas are large, the topography being the 

 same as that of the Bahama Black Loam. Eleuthera has a relatively greater 

 proportion of this soil than the other islands. On these two islands this soil 

 is of the greatest importance, for upon it has been developed the large pine- 

 apple interests. On the other islands, where it occurs. at all, the extent is so 

 small that it |s of no importance. This land is never allowed to remain idle, 

 as long as it continues productive. 



