52 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., 1899. 
Dr. H. Winter* analysed two soils in Java, to determine their lack of 
fertility with respect to sugar-cane, with the following results :— 
1. 100 parts air-dried soil contained— 
Fertile Unfertile 
Soil. Soil. 
Water ... ot sta ic gee neo OS ey GO 
Organic matter (loss after ignition)... xo BHR x, 
Nitrogen sa beh pees. ee OF .. WUD 
Insoluble in hydrochloric acid ox io OYBY ot GAGE! 
The soluble portion, calculated to 100 parts dry soil (at 150 degrees C.), 
contains :— 
Fertile Soil. Unfertile Soil. 
Silicie acid, aluminia, and oxide of iron ... 6°45 7. 7°30 
Lime ar ax x oF e262, ty 2°85 
Magnesia... ss = ax) ee 3417) Fe 0°64 
Potash xn Sa xi a v1 10°32 ~_ 0:26 
Phosphoric acid... = 43 eeO;D2 5% 04.2 
Carbon dioxide ax eae do fon BAL os 119 
- Sulphuric acid ax won axi0 ... 0°03 on 0-11 
Chlorine Hi O00 2: 0:13 
0:13 per cent. chlorine corresponds to 0:21 per cent. chloride of sodium, which 
is yery high, because a soil analysing over 0°l per cent. chloride of sodium is 
considered unfertile. 
2. The second analysis concerned subsoil water with a higher percentage 
of chlorine, which also occasioned an inferior growth of sugar-cane, as can be 
seen from the comparison of two different waters— 
100,000 parts subsoil water from fertile field contained 72°75 parts chlorine 
100,000 __,, * 3 »  unfertile ,, 4 336°50 __,, - 
A portion of the chlorine is absorbed by the plant, and acts injuriously 
upon the formation of sugar; as a consequence, the cane grown in the salty 
underground water contained but 9°8 per cent. sugar, only 76:4 per cent. of 
the juice being pure. 
The ash of this cane contained a very high percentage of chlorine. 
According to the examinations of Professor Stutzer, of Bonn,t diseased, in 
comparison with healthy cane, analvsed as follows :— 
One hundred parts of dried cane at 100 degrees OC. contained— 
Healthy Cane. Diseased Cane. 
Silicic acid Se sf rf Pon 0:950 = 0:013 
Lime... are A. if fe 0:040 rs 0:17 
Magnesia a Ah — xn 0:068 3) 0:12 
Potash ... wet if A ie 0:990 cs 1:63 
Sodaaaes on ux ise 4 0'690 or: 0:06 
Phosphoric acid m0 coc ae 0:269 20 0°49 
Sulphuric acid ... on mx: 0 01154 a 0°36 
Chlorine ox: ont : 0:150 oe 0:54 
The minimum quantities of various plant-food ingredients essential for a 
good sugar-cane soil have, with the exception of lime, not as yet been deter- 
mined. Semmler{ states that the soil should contain at least 1 per cent. of 
the latter constituent. Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash should be 
applied artificially in almost every case, as the supply of these ingredients in 
the soil soon becomes insufficient for the needs of the crop. Sugar-cane 
requires a considerable amount of the essential plant-food ingredients, as 
shown by the detailed investigations of Mr. C. J. yan Lookeren, of Campagne 
Klatten.§ This gentleman found that a crop of cane removed from one 
acre :-— 
* Archief voor de Java-Suikerindustrie, 1894, I., pag. 129 
_ tLandw. Versuchsstationen, 1892, p. 325. 
+ Semimler, ‘‘ Die tropische Agricultur” IIT., p. 224. 
4 Archief voor de Java-Suikerindustrie, 1893, p. 397. 
