On the Chemical Properties of Soils. 
105 
The linseed-cake used in the experiment was good Ameilcan 
barrel-cake, and was found to contain, in 100 parts, — 
Moisture 11"5G 
Oil ll-5(! 
■ Gum, su2;.ar, mucilago, and di;;estiblc fibre .. .. 28*47 
•Albuminous compounds (ilcsli-rorminc; matters) . . 2G'37 
Woody fibre (cellulose) 13-92 
Mineral matters (ash) 8'12 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 4-22 
The clover-hay chaff contained 20-12 per cent, of water, 6*89 
per cent, of ash, and 1-52 per cent, of nitrogen. Mangolds and 
pulp had the composition which has been given already in the 
preceding, pages. 
Although my analyses and feeding experiments have proved 
the pulp to be inferior in feeding properties to mangold-wurzel, 
1 am of opinion that the pulp is a very useful feeding material, 
which, at 10s. a ton, the price at which it was sold, is certainly 
not dear. 
I would observe, in conclusion, that more favourable results 
than mine have been obtained with pulp in numerous experi- 
ments carried out in France. It should be borne in mind, how- 
ever, that in France, Champonnois' method of distillation has 
almost entirely superseded Leplay's, and that French writers 
expressly state that the pulp produced by Leplay's process is 
much inferior to the pulp of distilleries where Champonnois' 
system is adopted. The differences in the composition of the 
pulp used in my experiments and that generally produced in 
France may thus explain discrepancies in the results, and pro- 
bably justify the opinion of several French authorities, who con- 
sider the pulp, weight for weight, to be, if not superior, at least 
equal in nutritive properties to mangolds. 
Hoyal Agricultural College, Cirencester, June, 1860. . 
VII. — On the Chemical Properties of Soils. By Dr. Augustus 
VOELCKER. 
There are many persons who, on reading the papers which from 
time to time appear in our chemical and agricultural journals on 
the powers of soils to absorb manuring matters, receive the im- 
pression that sandy soils have not the power of retaining ammonia, 
whilst clay soils are imbued with this property in so eminent a 
degree, that no amount of rain is capable of removing any of the 
ammonia absorbed by them. 
