581 



Straits Soils. 



ANALYSIS OF SOIL. 



Botanical Gardens Singapore. 



Mechanical Composition. 



No. 4 



Fine soil passing 90 mesh 

 Fine soil passing 60 mesh 

 Medium soil passing 30 mesh 

 Coarse sand and small stones 



No. I 



49.00 

 48.00 

 2 00 , 

 1. 00 , 



No. 2 



44-50 % 

 32.00 „ 

 6-50 ,, 

 17.00 ,. 



No. 3 



26.00 % 

 25.00 „ 

 18 00 „ 

 31-00 „ 



40.00 % 

 33.00 „ 

 8 50 „ 

 l8'50 „ 



No. 5 



42.00 % 

 28 00 „ 

 5.50 „ 

 25.00 „ 



No. 6 



49 00 % 

 38.00 ., 

 5.00 ,< 

 8 00 ,, 



No. 7 



46.00 % 

 36.50 „ 

 8.50 „ 

 9.00 ,, 



100.00 100.00 100.00 100-00 100.00 100.00 100.00 



Moisture 

 Organic matter and combined 

 water 



Oxide of iron and manganese 



Oxide of alumina 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Potash 



Phosphoric acid 

 Soda 



Sand and silicates 



Chemical Composition. 



7.400 % 3.800 % 3.800 % 2.400 % 2.400 % 2.200 % 2.000 % 



34-000 

 2.000 

 23 602 



0.280 



0.316 

 0.023 

 0.338 

 0.341 

 32.000 



11.000 „ 

 6.000 ,, 

 4.664 ,, 

 0140 „ 

 0.057 „ 

 0.030 „ 

 0.038 ,, 

 0.271 „ 



74 000 ,, 



12.000 

 2.000 

 4-439 

 O.180 

 0.II5 

 O.030 

 O.038 

 0.398 



77.OOO 



10.600 

 6.400 

 4.024 

 0.220 

 O.O86 

 0.015 

 0.012 

 0-243 



76-000 



II.600 



6.6oo 



6.266 



0.200 

 100 

 O.O38 

 0-025 

 0.371 

 72.400 



II.80O 

 6.200 



51 28 

 160 

 0.144 

 0030 

 025 

 313 

 74. 000 



10.600 

 4000 

 5-847 

 140 

 0.115 

 0.023 

 0.025 

 0.250 



77.000 



100.000 100.000 100.000 100.000 100.000 100.001 100.000 



Containing Nitrogen 

 Equal to Ammonia 

 Lower oxide of iron 

 Acidity 



O.826 % 0.1 12 % 



I.003 „ 0136 „ 



Much Fair 



Marked Marked 



0.224 % 

 0.272 „ 

 Good 

 Marked 



0.084 % 

 0.102 „ 

 Fair 

 Marked 



O.084 A 

 102 

 Fair 

 Marked 



0.095 % 0.112 , 



0.102 „ 0.136 , 



Good Fair 



Marked Marked 



NOTES ON" THE NUTRITION OF PLANTS. 



A knowledge of the physical properties of soil and the substances 

 necessary for the effective nutrition of plants is of the utmost value to 

 the Agriculturist. In practice soils become impoverished, more are less 

 rapidly, according to the requirements of the various crops and as no 

 soil can endure for any length of time the loss of mineral substances 

 which go to form part of the crop, without being replenished, it is 

 necessary to replace these by applying manures. 



It has been shewn by chemical analyses that only a small number 

 of substances are necessary for the growth of cultivated plants. The 

 essential nutritive substances which must always be present in sufficient 

 quantity and in soluble form are, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, 

 phosphorus, carbon, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and probably 

 chlorine. In addition to these there are several subsidiary substances 

 which are always present in the tissues of plants but not indispensa- 

 ble for growth, such as sodium and silica, also such admixtures as zinc, 

 copper, cobalt, aluminium, manganese, etc., according to the nature 

 of the soil. 



All plant tissues contain oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. 



Carbon is the chief constituent of all vegetable tissues forming 

 about one-half of their dry weight. The leaves absorb the carbon from 

 the atmosphere in the form of carbonic acid which is decomposed in 

 the cells of the leaves under the influence of light, giving back oxygen 

 to the air, 



