FE. W. Hilgard— Objects and Interpretation of Soil Analyses. 197 
In bringing forward this hasty summary of the conclusions 
either definitely justified or foreshadowed by my investigations 
on the subject of soil composition, I do not, of course, look for 
their acceptance until the record and proofs shall be forthcom- 
ing, as they soon will, in another publication. My present 
object is to call attention once more to the fundamental and 
practical importance of the subject of soil examination by all 
available means, and to protest against the contemptuous, 
unreasoning putting aside of the whole mattér of soil analysis, 
that has become current in works on agricultural chemistry for 
some time past. If the chemists of Kurope are content to 
declare themselves incompetent to accomplish anything more 
than mere guesses by the analysis of their long cultivated and 
manured-soils; if the same should even be held as regards the 
well-worn soils of New England, the objection cannot be sus- 
tained as against the virgin soils of our newer States and Terri- 
tories, or even as against any soils that have not been manured 
as yet, these two classes constituting, probably, four-fifths of 
all the cultivatable lands of the United States. These soils 
have been subjected only to natural, or to definitely ascertain- 
able artificial influences. They are sensibly uniform over very 
large areas, or at least, vary uniformly; they still possess, in 
part at least, their original tree or other growth, as produced by 
natural selection. Is it reasonable that in the presence of such 
opportunities American chemists should also declare themselves 
incompetent, without even trying to accomplish that which 
both in a theoretical and ina practical point of view, cannot be 
held otherwise than as of prime importance ? 
o one can be more sensible than I myself, of the small 
amount of progress made in the matter of @ prior: recognition 
of the agricultural character and value, present and ultimate, of 
soils, in the twenty-five years during whic ave more o 
less pursued the study of the subject. It would doubtless 
ave been otherwise had any one besides myself worked in this 
field of research with similar objects and methods, e 
early death of Dr. David Dale Owen, I was deprived of the one 
through whose initiative and encouragement I first entered 
upon and persevered in this field, through the discouragement 
freely bestowed upon me by my fellow-chemists; and thus the 
excellent work done by Dr. Robert Peter, Dr. Owen’s chemical 
assistant in the survey of Kentucky and Arkansas, in the analy- 
sis of the soils of those States, has so far remained without an 
interpreter. If the facts, suggestions and views here presented 
should be successful in attracting to this field of research some 
of the attention now so lavishly bestowed on the investigation 
of recondite organic compounds, the object of this paper will 
_ have been attained. 
