14 BULLETIN 122, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS. 
The most important generalization to be drawn from Table I is 
that most of the rarer elements tested for were found in all the soils. 
They seem to be rather evenly distributed among the various soil 
types and provinces. The barium of the York silt loam soil and subsoil 
is remarkably high. There appears to be some quantitative relation 
between barium and potassium. Strontium does not appear to be 
associated with barium, nor do these elements appear to be com- 
bined with sulphur. Molybdenum was proved to be present in two 
cases only. 
Kubidium was detected in all soils examined. In addition to the 
soils given in Table I it has been found in Colorado sand from Colorado, 
Knox silt loam from Missouri, Oswego silt loam from Kansas, and 
Greenville sandy loam from Georgia. Caesium was proved to be 
present in only one soil, Colorado sand, from Greeley, Colo. Since 
Vernadski 1 has found caesium to be widely distributed in feldspars 
and micas it would seem that there must be small amounts present 
in all soils, since all soils contain large quantities of either feldspars 
or micas. 
The amounts of the rare earths precipitates were too small to 
separate into simpler groups or elements. The precipitate probably 
contained cerium for the most part, with a smaller amount of thorium. 
Thorium has been reported in an Italian soil to the amount of 1 
part of thorium oxide to 60,000 parts of soil by Blanc, 2 and Joly 3 
has found it in sedimentary rocks in amounts averaging about 
1.2X10" 5 grams per gram of rock, or 1 part in 70,000. 
Nickel and cobalt are probably generally present in soils; the 
figures given do not have quantitative significance, however, and 
are subject to the doubts referred to in the paragraph on methods. 
Further work is needed to establish the amounts of these elements 
present in soils and also to prove definitely the presence of copper in 
anything but the merest traces. 
Since the number of soils in the Coastal Plain and Limestone 
Valley and Upland provinces analyzed was small, the partial analyses 
of such soils reported by Failyer, Smith, and Wade 4 are given in 
Table II for the purpose of comparison. 
Soils of the Glacial and Loessial province are higher in calcium, 
magnesium, sodium, and organic matter than those of the Piedmont 
Plateau or Coastal Plains. Whereas most of the soils of the Piedmont 
Plateau are low in potash, the large amount in numbers 19, 20, 21, 
and 22 brings the average up to that of the glaciated areas. 
iBul. Acad. St. Petersburg (1909), 821. 3 Phil. Mag., 20, 353. 
2 Atti. Accad. Lincei., 17, 1, 101. * Bui. 54, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. Agriculture (1908). 
