Arsenical Poisoning oe Fruit Trees. 45 
There can be no question of seepage for this is as high as any 
land in the neighborhood and there is no source from which seepage 
can come. 
The,re can be no question of ground water for it is necessary to 
sink wells to a depth of seventy-five feet to obtain water. On the 
other hand there can be no question regarding the supply of good irri¬ 
gation water for this is abundant. 
This orchard has received intelligent care, neither has labor nor 
money been spared to make it a good orchard. 
These considerations eliminate the questions of neglect, seepage, 
alkali, the lack of water or the irrational use of it as agencies in pro¬ 
ducing the present conditions, but they do not eliminate the question 
of an unfertile, soil. If it were not that I know that some very 
competent persons consider this point seriously as the possible cause 
in this case I would not discuss it. 
Personally I have but little confidence in the results of a soil 
analysis as criteria whereby to judge of the fertility of our soils. 
An analysis may have some value, especially if it shows an absolute 
deficiency in some of those elements which we have found to be 
essential to the development of plants. 
The following analysis, made, to answer, if possible, the question 
in regard to the lack of plant food in this soil, shows its composition: 
ANALYSIS OF AN ORCHARD SOIL. 
Insoluble . 60.966 
Silicic acid (sol. in sodic carbonate) . 16.228 
Sulfuric acid . 0.247 
Carbonic acid . 1.730 
Chlorin . none 
Phosphoric acid . 0.001 
Lime ... 3-1/6 
Magnesia . 1.651 
Ferric oxid . 3-697 
Potash . 1.240 
Soda > . # . 0.423 
Aluminic oxid . 3-746 
Manganic oxid (br) . 0.644 
Moisture . 2.070 
Ignition (organic matter etc.) . 4 - 4 12 
100.330 
Additional Determinations. 
Nitrogen . 0.098 
Copper . 0.0058 
Lead. 0.0009 
Arsenic acid . 0.0011 
According to this analysis we have an abundant supply of potash, 
a fair supply of phosphoric acid, more than an average supply .of 
nitrogen for our soils and no possible deficiency except it be of chlorin, 
which is apparently absent; an aqueous extract of the soil, 25 
grams, gives a faint reaction for chlorin, which simply means that 
it is present in vej*y small quantities. This sample represents the 
