LIMING OF SOILS FROM A PHYSIOLOGICAL STANDPOINT. . 25 
Recently four analyses of soils of southern India were published by 
C. Massey,’ which show a considerable preponderance of lime over 
magnesia in that part of the country: Lime, 0.836, 0.993, 0.825, and 
0.999 per cent; magnesia, 0.210, 0.300, 0.255, and 0.352 per cent. It 
may be mentioned further that tobacco soils of Sumatra and Java, when 
extracted with acetic acid (diluted 1:5), yield more than twice as much 
lime as magnesia, according to Van Bemmelen’s analysis (1890). Again, 
soils of Asia Minor used near Smyrna and Erbeiti for the culture of 
figs contains more lime than magnesia.” 
SOILS FROM AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
Analyses were recently published of soils of Cameroon, Senegambia, 
and German East Africa.” In the five samples of Cameroon soils, as 
well as in the three samples of Senegambian soils, there is noticed a 
great deficiency-of lime. The amount present ranges from 0.026 to 
to 0.174 per cent. Further, there is a considerable excess of magnesia 
over lime, amounting even to eleven fold and more. These soils would 
doubtless be much benefited by liming. 
Among the seventeen samples of soils from German East Africa 
there are not less than thirteen in which lime predominates over mag- 
nesia. Maximum of lime, 0.893 per cent; of magnesia, 0.530 per cent. 
Also eight samples of soils from different parts of the Congo State 
were analyzed,‘ four of these showing an excess of magnesia over lime. 
SOILS FROM AUSTRALIA. 
Of analyses of Australian soils, two only, made by Mr, F. B. Guth- 
rie,’ are available. These soils were taken from the same field and 
were of a light sandy loam. While the crop (barley) was of good 
growth on one, it showed bare and stunted spots on the other. The 
-mechanical analyses and the amounts of potash, phosphoric acid, and 
nitrogen in the two soils were very similar. The only difference of 
any moment shown by the analyses was in the content of lime. In the 
good soil it was 0.065 per cent; in the inferior, 0.015 per cent. The 
analyst recommends liming the inferior soil. Unfortunately, the 
magnesia was not determined, as it would probably throw more light 
on the causes of the inequalities in the two soils. 
RIVER DEPOSITS. 
It may, in addition, be mentioned that such river deposits as are 
highly esteemed for their fertilizing properties contain more lime than 
magnesia. The quantities of potassa and phosphoric acid present in 
1 Chemical News, 1895, Vol. LX XI, p. 261. 
4Cal. Agr. Exp. Stat. Bul. No. 101. 
3Jahresber. f. Agriculturchemie, p. 49, 1897. 
*Thid., 1896. 
>Agr. Gaz. New South Wales, 10, 1899, No. 2, p. 166. 
