io KERRY WOODS. 



rich in plant food except as regards nitrogen and lime. The 

 total amount of potash present varies, as regards the soils on the 

 Ludlow Shales, from 1*03 per cent, to 0*61 per cent, in the soil 

 and from 0*91 per cent, to 0*65 per cent, in the subsoil. For total 

 phosphoric acid the figures are, soil 0*22 per cent, to o'io per 

 cent. ; subsoil 0*187 per cent, to 0*09 per cent. ; for nitrogen, soil 

 0*46 to nil, and subsoil 0*147 to n ^- 



The amount of " available " potash and phosphoric acid in 

 the soil is, with the possible exception of No. 12, sufficient to 

 grow agricultural crops and amply sufficient for forest growth. 

 In fact, small areas of land are under cultivation on the north 

 side of Kerry Hill up to an elevation of about 1,350 ft., and on 

 the south side up to about 1,400 ft., the chief crops being oats, 

 turnips, swedes, and potatoes. 



Nitrogen appears to be very generally absent from the soils, 

 and in two cases, No. 8 (54-year old spruce) and No. 12 (bare), 

 from both soil and subsoil. No. IA, which carried a very fine 

 crop of 43-year old spruce, shows a large amount of nitrogen 

 (0*228 per cent, in soil and 0*147 per cent, in subsoil), but many 

 of the soils carrying good close-canopied crops, e.g. Nos. L 1} L 3 , 

 3, 5, 8, and 9, show only traces of this element in the soil or 

 subsoil. 



The chief point which these analyses show is that the soil is 

 not appreciably poorer at higher than at lower elevations. For 

 example, sample Lj (975 ft.) growing a very fine crop of young 

 larch, is in no wise better than No. 9 (1,530 ft.) under a 38 year 

 old crop of spruce. 



On Kerry Hill the soil first begins to get peaty at about 1,400 ft. 

 and at higher elevations there is very generally a layer of 4-8 inches 

 of peaty material. In such case heather is the most abundant plant 

 on the rough grazing land. 



A general review of the chemical and mechanical constitution 

 of these samples indicates that the soils throughout are excellently 

 adapted for the growth of timber. 



