REPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S CONSULTING CHEMIST EOR 1910. 609 



being exercised to apply it in an organic and slowly- acting form, such 

 as stable manure, leaf-refuse, &c., and not by forcing nitrogenous 

 manures such as nitrate of soda, &c. 



(e) Soil for Herbaceous Plants and Roses. — This soil came from 

 near Nantwich, and might be described as a black-coloured peaty sand. 

 The analysis was as follows : — 



Soil dried at 212" F. 



Organic matter and loss on heating . . 7-33 

 Oxide of iron and alumina . . . .3-79 



Lime ........ 1'05 



Magnesia, alkaUes, &c. . . . . 1-87 



Phosphoric acid '67 



Insoluble siliceous matter .... 85-29 



100-00 



The above figures show that the soil was well supplied with 

 vegetable matter, and also that it was exceptionally rich in phosphoric 

 acid. Of lime, there was only a moderate amount present, and, con- 

 sidering the peaty character of the soil, the further use of lime would 

 appear desirable, except where such plants as heaths, rhododendrons, 

 azaleas, &c., are intended to be grown. 



The question was also asked whether the soil would be well adapted 

 to roses. It appeared to me that the sandy nature and the compara- 

 tively small amount of clay would rather militate against the 

 satisfactory growth of roses, and that, if it were desired to effect this, 

 a heavier soil or clay should be incorporated with it. 



(tf) OipUte soil for Garden purposes. — A Fellow of the Society, 

 whose land was situated on the oolite formation, sent me for examina- 

 tion a sample of soil to know whether it would be of any use incor- 

 porating this with- his own (oolite) soil with the object of growing on it 

 plants that did not do well with lime. The analysis of this soil was 

 as follows : — 





Soil dried at 212° F. 



Organic matter and loss on heating 



. 68-88 



Oxide of iron and alumina 



. 4-56 



Lime . . . , . . 



. 3-33 



Magnesia, alkalies, &c. . 



. 1-80 



Phosphoric acid .... 



-79 



Insoluble siliceous matter 



. 20-64 





100-00 



This was a very peaty soil, containing much root fibre, and, as will 

 be seen by the analysis, was very rich in vegetable matter. 



There was very little clay, and the soil was practically decomposed 

 vegetable matter. Further, it was very rich in phosphoric acid. 



The lime amounted to rather over 3 per cent., which, in view of the 

 peaty character of the soil, could not be considered at all prejudicial as 

 regards the growing of plants which do not like lime. It would also 

 be a suitable one to mix with soils poor in vegetable matter, and would 

 also help largely in reducing the excess of lime contained in soils of 

 the oolite formation. 



VOL. XXXVI. S S 



