340 Absorption of Potash by Soils of known Composition. 
B. Chemical Analysis. 
Field. 
No. 7. 
No. 12. 
8-81 
.. 13-29 
Organic matter and water of combination 
8-63 
9-81 
14-28 
.. 16-72 
3-29 
2-46 
4-G1 
8-97 
•37 
•28 
1-03 
•55 
•46 
•88 
Soda 
•21 .. 
•33 
•21 
•03 
•02 .. 
•02 
8-20 
4-29 
50-10 
.. 42-20 
100-21 
99-83 
A watery solution containing '55657 per cent, of pure car- 
bonate of potash was employed in the following experiments. 
3500 grains of each soil were mixed with 7000 grains of this 
solution, and after repeated agitations left to stand for twenty- 
seven hours. A portion of the liquid was then drawn off, boiled 
with baryta- water ; the excess of baryta-water was next removed 
by carbonate of ammonia and a little free ammonia, and the 
filtrate evaporated to dryness ; the residue was heated to redness, 
and then the potash determined by chloride of platinum. The 
following are Mr. Philips's results : — 
Carbonato of Potash. 
Soil No. 7. SoU No. 12. 
Grains. Grains. 
Before contact with soil the solution contained 38-9599 .. 38-9599 
After contact 8-5512 .. 11-0306 
Difference 30-4087 27-9293 
Therefore 1000 grains of this soil from field No. 7 absorbed 
8*6882 grains of carbonate of potash, equal to 5'9179 of an- 
hydrous caustic potash. 1000 grains of the soil, from field No. 12, 
absorbed 7*9798 of carbonate, equal to 5 - 4355 of anhydrous 
caustic potash. 
3rd Series of Experiments.— Absorption of Potash from 
a Solution containing Sulphate of Potash. 
Experiments No. 1 and 2. 
In the next two experiments a solution containing *62128 per 
cent, of pure sulphate of potash was combined with the same 
two soils in the same proportions as before. Mr. Philips obtained 
the following results : — 
