20 
ACTION OF LIME AS A MANURE. 
equal proportions into dicalcium phosphate and phosphates 
of iron and alumina. Among these products the calcium 
compound is certainly more accessible to, and assimilable by, 
the roots, than the other phosphates. 
To clear up this subject, Mr. H. Sakano, who after his 
graduation continued his studies in the laboratory, carried 
out under my advice and control a series of researches. 
Two kinds of soils were applied, one from our paddy fields, 
the other from the deeper portions of the subsoil of the dry 
fields. Both were rich in easily decomposable silicates and 
iron compounds ; the paddy soil 13 was also very rich in humus ; 
the subsoil, however, almost entirely destitute of organic mat¬ 
ter. Specimens of the two soils were dried in the air only 
so far that a portion of them could be sifted off for the trials, 
in order not to destroy all the fungi normally existing in them. 
A number of bottles of a capacity of about 50 c.c. were filled 
with the soils, each bottle receiving 10 grms., besides the 
following quantities of quick lime prepared from marble : 
TOP SOIL FROM PADDY FIELD. 
Bottle No. 
.. i and 2 
3 and 4 
5 and 6 
7 and 8 
g and io 
xi and 12 
Lime, grms. 
.. 0 
0.025 
0.05 
O.IO 
0.25 
0.5 
,, , percent 
the soil. .. 
of 
. • 0 
0. 25 
°- 5 
I. o 
2 - 5 
5.0 
SUBSOIL. 
Bottle No. i and 2 3 and 4 g and 6 7 and 8 
Lime, grms. o 0.025 0.10 0.50 
,, , percent of the soil. o o. 25 1. o 5. o 
After liming, every vessel received 20 c.c. distilled water, 
and after 2 week’s standing 0.05 grms. of phosphoric acid 
were added in the form of monopotassium phosphate specially 
prepared for the purpose and dissolved in so much water, 
that 5 c.c. of the solution just contained the above quantity 
13 Analyses of the paddy soil will be found in bulletin No. 8, p. 3-4. 
