On titc Chcmiail Properties of Soils. 
115 
Submitted to chemical analysis it yiekled : — 
Moisture 2-420 
Organic matter 11 "700 
Oxides of iron and aluiniiia 11*860 
Carbonate of lime 1"240 
Sulphate of lime 'SOf) 
Phosphoric acid "080 
Chloride of sodium *112 
Potash (soluble in acid).. .. .. -910 
Soluble silica 4-090 
Insoluble siliceous matters 67'530 
100-248 
3500 grains of this soil were shaken up in a stoppered bottle 
with 14,000 grains of ammonia solution, and the operation con- 
<lucted in every respect in the same manner as in the preceding 
experiments : — Ammonia. 
Grains. , 
Before contact with soil 1000 grains of solution 
contained "332 
After contact with soil 1000 grains contained .. .. •071 
•261 
Thus, '261 grains apparently were removed from every 1000 
grains of liquid, or 3"654 grains from the whole solution. Ac- 
cordingly 1000 grains of soil would have absorbed 1*044 grains of 
ammonia. But in reality the amount of ammonia absorbed by 
this soil is not so large. 
A glance at the foregoing composition of the soil shows that 
it is rich in vegetable matter. This fully accounts for the deep 
brown colour which the ammonia solution assumed after contact 
with the pasture land. It became thus necessary to distil the 
liquid before determining the ammonia. The following result 
was obtained by distillation : — Ammonia. 
Grains. 
Before contact with soil 1000 grains of liquid contained '332 
After contact „ „ „ *188 
•144 
Therefore "144 grains of ammonia were removed from every 
1000 grains, or 2 "01 6 from the whole solution, and taken up 
by the soil. 1000 grains of soil accordingly absorbed only •576 
grains of ammonia. 
In the preceding experiments the following quantities of am- 
monia were thus absorbed by 1000 grains of — 
Ammonia. 
Grains. 
1. Calcareous soil -882 
2. Fertile loamy soil and clay subsoil . . "804 
3. Heavy clay soil •754 
4. Sterile sandy soil -868 
5. Pasture land •576 
I 2 
