Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-23
Analysis Of Soil Now Becoming Of Practical
Value.

Analysis Of Soil Now Becoming OF Practical
Value.
During recent years chemists, among
whom Grandeur of France and Hilgard
of California have been conspicuous, have
revived the hope that soil analysis may be
of material practical value The acids
used by old chemists found materials of
plant growth in the soil, but it did not
determine whether these materials were
soluble enough for the plant to secure
them. In more recent years organic
acids and dilute hydrochloric acid have
been used. The question of determining
the available plant food of soils has
been the subject of a review by ''agricul-
tural science. Referring to some tests
with citric acid in the experimental fields
of Sir John b. Lawes it says in relation
to the soluble matters found:
"But the percentages Of solubility in
citric acid are quite different. On the
eight plats receiving no phosphates it was
.007S; on the eight receiving phosphates,
.O463; the ratio between these figures is
nearly 1.6 The difference is comparative
ly overwhelming
Examination of the results in more
detail shows that where alkaline salts
were applied the solubility of the phos
phCrc acid in citric acid is very consider
ably increased. Again, plats receiving
rape cake as fertilizer contained total
phosphoric acid in ratio of 1.61 in case
of the unmanured plats; but of citric acid
soluble in ratio of nearly 3.51.
"A plat receiving yard manure for
twenty years and then unmanured for
eighteen years as compared with plat
similarly MANFRED for the whole thirty
eight years showed .134 per cent of total
phosphoric acid VS.. .176 per cent but of
citric acid soluble only .0206 VS.. .0447 per
cent The figures for potash are even
more striking:
Eight Eight
non-pot- potash
ash platS platS
per cent per cent Ratio
Total potash, 1926 1.57S l:1O7
Total Soluble in HCI, 1856 .266 l;1.36
Potash soluble in citrc acid003S 03iS 1:9
1.-The difference in total and in hydro
chloric acid soluble potash is insignificant,
but in ctric acid soluble, overwhelming.
"Owing to the smaller crops on plats
receiving potash but not phosphates, COM
pared with those receiving both, the
amount of citric acid soluble potash is 229
pounds per acre greater on the former,
Where nitrate of soda was used to sup
ply nitrogen twice as much citric soluble
potash was found as in the case of the
corresponding plats receiving ammonia;
that is the nitratcs seemed to act as a sol
vent for soil potash. In relation to phos-
phoric acid the following passage is
quoted:
I'm conclusion the author believes it
reasonable to suggest that when soil Is
found to contain as little as .0l per cent.
of phosphoric acid soluble in | per cent.
citric acid solution, it would be justifable
to assume that it stands in immediate
need of phosphate manure.
The careful reader will perceive that in
all these quotations there occurs evidence
that the chemicals used by Sir. John B.
Lawes in feitilizing his plats had reacted on
the soil and Influenced its decomposition;
for instance it is stated that the alkali
salts Increased the solubility of the
phosphoric acid This was seen also in
the plat that received rape cake. In the
table given it will be noticed that the
amount of potash in the citric acid, the
increase of potash in the plats that had
received potash as against those that had
not received potash was very striking:
nine fold more of the potash was soluabie
in citric acid in one case than was soluble
in the other Citric acid in this case is sup
posed to give an approximation In each
case of the relative amount of potash avail
able. If by the use of weak reagents we
NAV determine the available materials OF
n soil then it becomes fair question
whether a purchaser of a farm would not
he richly repaired for having it tested be
fore purchase That the force of this sug-
ocstion may be seen we have but to look
at the relative value of farms of unequal
fertility. Let us suppose that one farm
will produce 90 bushels of corn without fer
filters and that another will produce but
10 bushels Now if these figures repre-
sent the difference between native fer
tility that is perpetual in the life of Il
farm. the increased value of one over the
other is represented by 10 bushels of corn.
Ten bushels of corn with its stoyer will
weigh about 800 pounds and ha the feed
ing value equal or superior to that of
timothy hay. At the very conservative
value of dollars per ton this excess of
10 bushels would be worth So; now So
is the interest on 500. Theoretically
the hest farms would be worth 500 per
acre when the other farms would be worth
nothing As a matter of fact If the rela-
tive value of farms could be accurately
gagged it would probably be actually
found that often ii would be better TO pay
$50 an acre for one farm than accept an
other. In regard to the Influence of chemi-
cal ,nanurps on the solubility OF soils we
NAV add that on the Is plats of Wilson
farm which were for years differently
treated there is evidence today that the
fertilizers have had other effect on the soil
than the rlcre furnishing of plant food
and in this respect are in accord with the