15 
of phosphoric acid to a depth of 28 inches which hears out the assump¬ 
tion that most of this material is in the organic form. Nitrogen in 
this field is also higher than is commonly found in these soils. The 
lime content here is principally in the form of epidote, with hornblende 
next, and the plagioclase felspars occurring in small amounts. 
Porter's Loam. 
Field “B” is located on representative Porter’s loam. It consists 
of 19 plats, with the same plan of treatment as field “A” on the 
Toxaway loam. The same materials were used and the relative 
applications for the plats have been the same. However, the normal 
application was at the rate of 300 pounds per acre for both years. 
The plats included in table 5 correspond to those of field “A” in 
table 3. 
We find that phosphoric acid again gives us the largest increase in 
grain, but the average gain is greater for nitrogen. There is little 
difference in the average gain in grain for nitrogen, potash or lime. 
However, though the nitrogen is credited with a gain of 442 pounds 
of stover per acre, both potash and lime failed to increase the stover 
over no fertilizer. 
Here, as in all the soils examined from this section of the State, 
there is enough potash to supply the need of crops for many hundred 
years to come. As in most of these Mountain soils, this potash is 
held in the form of micas. The biotite content of this field is quite fresh 
showing little alteration to chlorite or epidote. The potash felspars 
occur here in limited amounts. In the sand separates there is not 
over 5 per cent of the minerals other than quartz potash felspars. The 
amount of phosphoric acid in this field is exceedingly small; that which 
is found in the mineral form is chiefly as apatite occurring as tiny 
needles inclosed in quartz grains. This field is fairly well supplied 
with nitrogen, but for maintaining its fertility, this supply will have 
MPOSITION OF PORTER’S LOAM, BUNCOMBE TEST FARM. 
Other than Quartz in 
Less Abundant Minerals in 
Remarks 
Silt 
Sand 
Silt 
: 
Biotite, muscovite 
Epidote, chlorite, 
hornblende, rutile, 
zircon, apatite as 
inclusions, plagio¬ 
clase 
Hornblende, chlorite, 
orthoclase, micro- 
cline, plagioclase, 
magnetite, zircon 
’ 
Minerals are comparatively 
fresh. Micas carry by far 
the greater portion of pot¬ 
ash. Apatite is as tiny 
needles enclosed in quartz. 
Biotite 
Epidote, hornblende, 
rutile, zircon, in¬ 
cluded apatite, 
magnetite, ortho- 
clase 
Hornblende, chlorite, 
orthoclose, rutile, 
zircon, plagioclase 
More secondary quartz. Other¬ 
wise the subsoil is about the 
same as soil. 
