YEI<IX>YV-BERRY IN WHEAT 
27 
Main Features in Composition of Soil and Subsoil. 
Soil Subsoil 
Agricultural Mass Agricultural Mass 
Analysis 
Analysis 
Analysis 
Analysis 
Percent. 
Percent. 
Percent. 
Percent. 
Phosphoric Acid. 
.0.175 
0.217 
0.160 
0.185 
Potash (Potassic oxid) . . . 
.0.715 
2.475 
0.573 
2.607 
Total Nitrogen. 
Citric acid soluble. 
.0.143 
• • • • 
0.060 
• • • • 
Phosphoric acid.. 
.0.021 
0.015 
Potash (Potassic oxid) . 
.0.036 
0.018 
One-fifth normal nitric acid 
soluble. 
Phosphoric acid. 
.0.066 
0.073 
Potash (Potassic oxid) 
.0.057 
0.020 
Portion of soil soluble in water. . . .0.3 88 
0.345 
The last determination,.the portion of the soil soluble in water, 
is given because I believe that this is an important factor in the 
agriculture of the semiarid regions. To some, the figures 0.388 
and 0.345 may convey only a slight notion of the mass of salts in¬ 
volved. The samples of soil and subsoil together were taken to a 
depth of a little more than one and three-quarters feet, but the 
wheat plant under favorable conditions sends its roots down to a 
distance of more than twice this depth. The amount of water 
soluble material in the soil represented by our samples amounts to 
3,670 pounds as the average for each million pounds of soil, which 
gives us from 12 to 13 tons of soluble salts per acre taken to this 
depth of one and three-quarters feet. While the salts actually 
dissolved out of this soil by the water may not be capable of acting 
as plant foods, it seems improbable that they are indifferent or take 
no part in the changes which are constantly going on in the soil. 
Our theory for instance of the action of lime includes its ability 
to liberate potassium salts, likewise it is believed that soda salts 
may in some cases also act to make the potassium which may be too 
firmly held to be readily taken up by the plants, more available and 
in this way exercise a beneficial action on the growing crop. If 
these views be correct it would seem probable that this large 
amount of soluble salts may constitute an important factor in the 
question of the fertility of the soil. 
The supply of the plant foods which it is usually considered 
necessary to take into account is ample in this soil to produce 
abundant crops. This is not a matter of theory, but of fact. It 
would be very bad for the theory if it indicated a contrarv conclu¬ 
sion, for this soil will yield from 30 to 40 bushels of wheat with¬ 
out the application of manures of any kind, chemical or farmyard. 
