XXXVI. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 
The Chairman delivered an address upon ‘“* Recent 
Researches connected with the Soil.”’ 
Despite the war, progress in all Huropean countries had. 
been made in soil research. Important papers had been 
put forward in England and United States and even Japan. 
Australia has taken a rather insignificant part in the work 
of soil research. 
Australia stands greatly in need of a systematic soil 
survey. The more complete our knowledge of the soil, the 
more possible it becomes to evolve a rational system of 
agriculture. Stress was laid upon the following recent 
researches:—(a) the colloidal form of certain soil con- 
stituents, and the effect of this form. (b) Soil acidity and 
the lime requirements of soils and their determination. 
(c) Artificial humus and artificial farmyard manure. (d) 
The examination of water extracts of the soil. (e) The 
living organisms of the Soil. 
June 12th, 1922. 
Professor R. D. Watt in the Chair. 
Mr. H. Wenholz, B.Sc. Agr, addressed the meeting upon 
‘‘A New Viewpoint on the Liming of Soils.’’ The speaker 
after reviewing the accepted reasons for the liming of soils 
discussed their value. He pointed out that with our main 
crops, the application of lime is not beneficial, and is 
apparently unprofitable, and possibly should be used with 
caution on other crops. Touching upon the generally accep- 
ted belief that a soil containing less than one per cent. of 
carbonate of lime requires liming, Mr. Wenholz expressed 
the belief that it was an unjustifiable assumption to apply to 
New South Wales soils. After discussing the question of 
acid tolerant crops, the speaker said the present position 
calls for caution as regard theories and recommendations 
concerning the use of lime, until more accurate data, and 
the results of field experiments are available. 

