ANNUAL REPORT OF CONSULTING CHEMIST FOR 1919- 295 



the refuse obtained from suction-gas plant had any manurial value. 

 It gave the following analysis : — 



per cent. 



Moisture ....... I5'7° 



Oxide of iron and alumina .... 2-69 



Lime ........ 4-39 ' 



♦Phosphoric acid . . . . . . -89 



Silica 1 -91 



Carbonic acid &c. ...... 4-66 



Carbonaceous matter . 69-76 



ioo-oo 



♦equal to phosphate of lime . . . . 1-94 



Beyond the small amounts of phosphate of lime and lime (as 

 carbonate), there was nothing of manurial value in this. It would 

 do, however, for mixing with, and diluting, artificial manures. 



6. Waters. — The two samples sent me were from the same place, 

 the one from a pump in the house, the other from a supply in the 

 garden. Both were quite soft, the garden one specially so, as it 

 contained only 5 grains per gallon of total solids, the other having 

 12-04 grains. They were both free from polluting matter. 



7. Soils. — The 17 samples of soil sent came, of course, from various 

 sources, and were intended for hop-growing, fruit trees, and garden 

 purposes generally. Those which present any special feature of in- 

 terest are touched upon. 



(a) Hop soils. — The 6 samples sent came from Kent, and were 

 clay loams. All of them were very fairly rich. Lime was not required, 

 and they were more than ordinarily well supplied in phosphoric acid. 

 Potash, however, was rather deficient, nor did some of the soils contain 

 sufficient organic matter, so that the use of farmyard manure and 

 organic nitrogenous materials like shoddy would be advisable. 



(b) Rhododendron soil. — A sample of soil from near Hertford, 

 to be used for Rhododendron-growing, gave the following analysis : — 



(Soil dried at ioo° C.) 



per cent. 



Organic matter and loss on heating . . 11-39 



Oxide of iron and alumina .... 10-63 



Lime ........ -93 



Alkalis &c. . . . . . . . 1-47 



Insoluble silicates and sand . . . . 75*58 



ioo-oo 



This was a heavy clay soil, containing pebbles. The amount of 

 lime present is more than is advisable for the particular object in 

 view, and the soil generally is not the class of soil on which one would 

 expect rhododendrons to do well, a light, peaty sand being much 

 preferable. 



(c) Soil for bulb-growing. — A soil from Newbury, Berks, to be 

 used for bulb-growing, gave the following results : 



