CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF BLIGHTED SUGAK-CANES. 191 
No. 
Silicic 
Phosphoric 
Calcium 
Magnesium 
Sodium 
Potassium 1 
Anhydride. 
Anhydride. 
Oxide. 
Oxide. 
Oxide. 
Oxide. 
4. 
19440 
151 
73601 
5944 
5252 
1335 
5. 
4303 
231 
77918 
7614 
14804 
778 
6. 
4953 
288 
37628 
5064 
3909 
489 
7. 
410? 
178 
62031 
4411 
8681 
59 
8. 
10518 
492 
137309 
14431 
5689 
1140 
9. 
7830 
1270 
157964 
3739 
4776 
1129 
Dr. Smith remarks that the above soils seemed,- from their 
physical condition, to be excellent ; but to be considerably 
exhausted of their valuable chemical constituents. He con- 
sidered lime (calcium oxide) or manuring needful. It ■will 
be noticed how deficient in calcium oxide silicic anhydride 
and sodium oxide in comparison with these is the soil under 
examination. 
The following table shows the quantities of the same 
substances contained in 3,000,000 lbs. of average agricul- 
tural soils calculated from numerous analyses made by 
several chemists under the direction of Magnus (Ann. der 
Landwirthschaft, xiv. 2) : — 
Silicic anhydride (soluble) 
Phosphoric anhydride 
Calcium oxide 
Magnesium „ 
Sodium „ 
Potassium ,, 
... 13,440 lbs. 
... 5,160 „ 
26,850 „ 
... 7, SCO „ 
... 4,830 „ 
... 6,630 „ 
As an example of a soil of extreme fertility may be given 
the Tchornoi stem, or black earth of central Russia. In it 
graminaceous plants flourish with unexampled luxuriance. 
Its extent is about 60,000 square geographical miles, and 
this area sustains twenty millions of people, in addition 
to exporting annually fifty million bushels of corn. In 
3,000,-000 lbs. of this earth there are contained of — 
