802 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  AgricuUurist." 
[May  1,  1896. 
5th.  A certain  proportion  of  basic  substances. 
It  will  be  seen  that,  beyond  the  presence  of 
certain  mineral  and  organic  matter,  the  conditions 
favourable  to  nitritication  are  those  wliose  presence 
otherwise  indicates  fertility— namely,  fineness  of 
texture  and  absence  of  exces^^ive  water.  If  the 
capillary  power  of  a soil  is  low,  it  indicates  an  un- 
favourable condition  for  nitrification. 
It  has  recently  been  stated  by  a French  writer 
that  the  presence  of  nitrates  in  the  soil  assists  in 
rendering  soluble  the  potash  in  such  insoluble  com- 
binations as  felspar,  which  is  an  additional  mode 
by  which  the  nitric  organism  promotes  fertility. 
Provided,  then,  that  the  condition  of  the  soil,  as 
indicated  by  the  physical  properties  above  enumer- 
ated, is  favourable  to  what  I may  call  the  meta- 
bolism of  plant  food,  its  fertility  will  depend  upon 
the  amount  of  that  plant  food,  and  it  is  immaterial 
whether  that  plant  food  is  now  in  a soluble  state 
or  not.  If  the  mineral  and  nitrogenous  matter 
are  present  in  sufficient  quantity,  and  the  soil 
possesses  high  absorptive  capacity,  high  capillary 
powers — in  short  is  of  texture,  and  possesses  the 
conditions  conducive  to  nitrification — -it  may,  I 
think,  be  fairly  expected  to  prove  a fertile  soil ; and 
in  cases  where  one  or  more  of  the  conditions  con- 
ducive to  fertility  are  absent,  we  may  look  to  im- 
proved methods  of  cultivation  to  attain  that 
fertility. 
The  tabulated  results  of  such  an  analysis  as  I 
have  indicated  w’ould  be  as  follows:  — 
Keaction  of  soil. 
Weight  of  soil  (per  acre,  6 or  9 inches  deep). 
Capacity  for  water. 
Capillary  power. 
Absorptive  power  for  salts. 
MECHANICAL  ANALYSIS. 
Gravel. 
Sand. 
Fine  sand. 
Clay. 
CHEMICAL  ANALYSIS  (OF  FINE  SOU,). 
Water. 
Organic  matter. 
.Nitrogen. 
Soluble  in  strong'll  Lime. 
boiling  hydro-  J^  Potash. 
chloric  acid  J Phosphoric  acid. 
The  quantity  of  organic  matter  (which  is  the 
volatile  matter  after  deducting  water  and  carbonic 
acid)  afford  a sufficiently  close  indication  of  the 
amount  of  humus  present. 
The  nitrogen  determined  is  total  nitrogen.  If 
nitrates  are  present,  the  modification  of  Kjeldahl's 
method  is  the  most  suitable. 
I believe  the  above  represents  tbe  fewest  deter- 
minations upon  which  an  accurate  judgment  can 
be  based.  I also  believe  that  with  the  aid  of  the 
above  data,  practical  experience,  and  a modicum 
of  motherwit,  thoroughly  reliable  and  useful 
advice  may  be  given  as  to  the  means  to  be  adopted 
for  ameliorating  the  soil. 
The  manures  to  be  u.sed  and  their  quantities 
will  to  some  extent  depend  upon  the  nature  of 
the  soil,  and  to  a much  less  degree  upon  the  quan- 
tities of  the  fertilizing  ingredient  found  to  bo 
present,  but  principally  upon  the  nature  of  the 
crop.  Boil  analysis  in  the  past  has  been  too  much 
occupied  with  the  notion  that  the  amount  of 
fertilizer  required  depends  upon  the  quantity 
already  in  the  .soil,  and  that  nothing  is  necessary 
but  to  add  so  much  of  the  particul  ir  ingredient 
in  an  available  form  as,  together  with  what  is 
already  present,  will  produce  a sufficiency  for 
all  requirements.  I believe  the  principle  is  a 
sound  one,  wdiich  tells  us  to  manure  the  crop  and 
not  the  ground,  and  that  the  soil  to  be  improved 
is  to  be  improved,  not  by  chemicals,  but  by  proper 
cultivation,  by  deep-ploughing,  draining,  liming, 
green-manuring,  and  other  means  of  improving 
the  texture,  without  which  it  is  impos.sible  to 
maintain  the  conditions  necessary  to  fertility. 
THE  PRESERVING  OF  FRUIT. 
( Contirmed.) 
In  a general  way  it  may  be  said  that  all 
fruits  and  vegetables  that  endure  stewing  with- 
out injury  to  flavour  or  the  form  of  the  fruits 
are  suitable  for  canning.  Oranges  would  thus 
have  to  be  excluded  because  of  the  peculiar 
bitter  principle  which  they  develope  in  cooking. 
Some  fruits  again  are  unsuitable  for  the  rea.'on 
that  in  cooking  they  change  form  rapidly,  be- 
coming “sauce, ” on  which  account  they  soon 
become  flavourless  in  the  can. 
The  modern  fruit  can  is  said  to  be  an  American 
invention.  Usually  and  preferably,  so  far  as 
home  work  is  concerned,  it  is  made  of  glass  with 
metallic  covers.  Tin  cans  with  tight-fitting  covers 
and  a sealing  of  wax  are  sometimes  used,  but  the 
objection  to  them  is  that  the  metal  is  often 
acted  upon  by  acid  fruits  thus  causing  a flavour 
which  is  both  disagreeable  and  injurious.  There 
are  of  course  many  kinds  of  cans  or  jars,  and 
each  sort  doubtless  has  points  of  advantage 
which  will  commend  it  to  users.  The  patent  cans 
known  as  the  “lightning”  and  “ Mason's  ” are 
among  the  best.  The  jars  and  ordinary  cooking 
utensils  are  really  all  the  appliances  absolutely 
needed  for  canning,  A tin  funnel,  with  wide 
throat,  for  tilling  the  jars  is  a convenience. 
The  following  is  a recipe  for  making  wax  for 
sealing  fruit : — lilelt  one  pound  of  resin  over  a slow 
fire.  When  hot  add  one  ounce  of  beeswax  and 
two  ounces  of  tallow  or  other  fat,  stirring  well 
till  mixed.  Let  tbe  mixture  cool  a little  and  pour 
into  a greased  can  for  keeping.  When  used  heat 
till  melted,  and  dip  corks  or  covers  into  it,  seal- 
ing instantly  while  hot. 
Only  the  best  fruit  is  worth  Abe  trouble  of  can- 
ning. None  that  are  over-ripe,  green,  speckled 
or  partly  rotten  should  be  used.  The  fruit  should 
not  be  kept  long  after  gathering  before  canning, 
and  after  pealing,  pitting,  Ac,  as  may  be  neces- 
sary, it  should  as  soon  as  possible  find  its  way  into 
the  cans.  Some  fruits  will  require  halving  for 
convenience  in  cooking  and  handling,  but  flavour 
and  appearance  will  be  greatly  improved  by  using 
the  fruit  in  as  nearly  as  possible  its  original 
condition  as  to  form.  Some  fruit  need  no  par- 
ing at  all,  and  indeed  lose  flavour  if  pared.  In 
regard  to  the  subse((uent  operation  of  cooking, 
and  the  amount  of  sugar  used  in  sweetening  the 
fruit,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  care  should  be 
taken  not  to  overdo  the  former,  while  the  amount 
of  sugar  used  shculd  bo  governed  wholly  by  one’s 
taste. 
The  following  are  the  two  methods  of  canning 
now  commonly  in  vogue  in  America  : — 
