630 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



4. Lime (ground). — Analysis : — 



Oxide of iron and alumina . . . 1-48 per cent. 



Ltme 8579 „ 



Magnesia, carbonic acid, &c. . . 9*28 ,, 



Silica 3-45 „ 



ioo-oo 



This was of fair quality, but was not sufficiently finely ground. 



5. Bastol Cake. — This gave results as follows : — 



Oil ....... 9-25 per cent. 



Albuminoids ..... 17-81 



Ash 510 



Sand ....... i-68 ,, 



This cake, as is now pretty well known, consists, to a large 

 extent, of prepared wood with molasses and other materials. 

 It has a decidedly insipid taste, and, in my opinion, such a 

 material as prepared wood or sawdust is not a suitable one for 

 giving to stock. 



6. The one miscellaneous inquiry referred to the failure of plants, 

 principally bedding Geraniums, to grow properly in a certain soil. 

 Several plants were sent to me, together with the soil in which they 

 were grown. The roots appeared to have become stunted, and 

 then to have made a fresh start. The appearances were such as are 

 not unfrequently associated with the presence of an acid soil. This, 

 however, was not the case here, but, on examination of the soil, I 

 found it to contain a considerable amount of soluble salts, these 

 consisting largely of sulphates of the alkalies. When this is the 

 case conditions unfavourable to the growth of plants are set up. 

 I was unable, however, to obtain information as to the cause of 

 the trouble. 



7. Waters. — Two of these were for drinking purposes, and one for 

 horticultural use. In the former class, the first sample contained 

 38-64 grains of total solid constituents, and, though hard, was an 

 organically pure water. 



The second sample sent was turbid in appearance and required 

 filtering. It was free from organic impurity, but contained a little 

 zinc in solution. 



The water sent for horticultural purposes contained 22*96 grains 

 per gallon of total solids, of which 6'i6 grains were lime and 1*31 

 grains per gallon magnesia. It gave a hardness of 15-3 degrees. 



This water, while it might be unsuitable for Ericas, Rhododendrons, 

 &c, was not sufficiently hard to be objectionable for general horti- 

 cultural purposes. 



8. Soils, {a) Soil for Vinery Border. — The complaint was made 

 that the vines flagged, and it was suspected that some harmful 

 chemical had been put on the soil. Examination of this latter, 

 however, showed no sign of the presence of anything injurious. 



(b) Soil for Apples. — The following is the analysis of a sample of 



