and a Soil suitable to its Culture. 
395 
" It will be seen that this soil contained no less than 95 per 
cent, of insoluble siliceous matter, chiefly in the I'onn of fine 
quartz-sand. The proportion of all the other constituents is, 
therefore, necessarily very small indeed. Thus we find in it 
hardly more than traces of potash, little phosphoric acid, and 
barely any lime — a constituent which is seldom so deficient in 
any soil. 
As the field had received a dressing of farmyard manure pre- 
vious to the sowing of the seed, some of the phosphoric acid, 
lime, and potash probably are due to the manure. Analysed in 
its natural condition, it is likely to exhibit in a still more 
striking manner this general deficiency of all the more important 
and valuable soil-constituents. Notwithstanding, it produced a 
luxuriant crop of lupines, weighing in a green state about 
21 tons per acre. 
The small proportion of sulphate and carbonate of lime in 
this soil is striking, and it is certainly remarkable that the 
crop, nevertheless, succeeded well. Leguminous crops, to which 
lupines belong, are, generally speaking, much improved by a 
dressing of gypsum or lime. I cannot help thinking, therefore, 
that a good dose of one of these substances may increase the pro- 
duce and materially improve the feeding qualities of this crop. 
It may be partially due to the almost total absence of sulphuric 
acid and lime in this soil that the analysis of the lupines has not 
furnished more favourable results. My reason for throwing out 
this suggestion is based on the fact that every description of 
agricultural produce is increased by applying lime in some 
shape or other to land which is peculiarly deficient in this sub- 
stance, and on the no less important observation of good farmers 
that turnips grown on land very poor in lime possess a low feed- 
ing value. 
Whilst recommending the use of gypsum or lime as a means 
of increasing the produce and improving its quality on land like 
that on which the experimental lupines were grown, I would 
mention, however, that chalky and marly soils, according to the 
experience of trastworthy men, do not appear to be well adapted 
to this crop. It is likewise stated that land in too high condi- 
tion does not suit it, and that on wet or imperfectly-drained 
land lupines do not succeed. 
A deep, porous, naturally dry or perfectly-drained soil is 
essentially requisite for growing the crop to perfection, and as 
chalky and marly soils often rest on impervious clays or wet 
peat, it is probably due to these latter, and not to the excess of 
lime, that lupines fail in chalky or marly soils. 
From the preceding observations, the following general con- 
clusions may be drawn : — 
VOL. XXI. 2 E 
