The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-04

tr44AEA % lars spot ~ TIE act4UH Of watEx.
and consists mainly Of the wash from the
higher elevations IN the vicinity. greatly
enriched ny the accumulation OF organic
matter from the decaysng vexetatian Of
many years II contains a Large amount
OF mica tnuscosites. ewing 70 the fact
THAI granite Is sne characteristics rock
Of the LEGALITY.
This soil has never been fortified ana
has yia5ded three excellent ercps OF cell
cry. which has a delsracy q flavor that Is
unsurpassed. The garden is irrigated By
little natural stream that flows through
IL Theoretically this Is the strongest
soil and gives greater premise of saura-
bilsty than any saat have been anaIyzed
tn our laboratory The percentages Of
potash and phosphoric acid are all that
could be desired In soil Of this type.
while the amount Of lime is sufficient 20
make large amount of the latter avail
able by combining with It to form the
soluble calcium phosphate This sofl con-
tafns no organic matter In the form OF
woody fiber. ard hence does not approach
peat or muck. The decomposition has
gone 50 far that . very large amount OF
humus Is present. which contains a high
proportion of nitrogen. This fact doubt
less explains, in part at least, the adapt
ability CT this soil 20 raising celery and
vegetables. Il is noticeable that. although
the organic matter Is only slightly in ex-
cess of the amount contained In No. q,
the percentages OF humus ana nitrogen
are very much greater This garden lies
near Saitese lake or marsh. but on some
what higher ground.
Sample No. 81 was sent by o p McFail,
OF Portland. Or. It was taken from abou.
fifteen miles east Of Vancouver, Clarke
county, from virgin soil. II Is brown
soil OF loose texture. and well drained It
has depth Of from four TO six feet and
rests on gravel.
The sample contains the highest per-
centage OF phosphoric acid Of any sample
vel analysed. II has an ample supply OF
potash. but there Is TOO little iiyae TO
guarantee longevity. With the addition
lime this would doubtless make very
durable fruit soil 1t is located In the
prune belt o. the county. The humus
and nitrogen percentages are very high.
Sample No. g was also sent by o. p.
McFaIl. of Portland, Or. ana was taken
from the same locality az No. 81. In
many places OF Clarke county there are
patches of ground varying In size. In
which the soil is much darker colorea
than the surrounding soil. and which
are said to raise excellent crops of wheat
This sample Is from one OF these spots.
As in case of No. 81. the high percentage
OF coda would Indicate alkaline tendon
cies. IL the soil were found IN region
of scanty rainfall. The sample Is very
deficient I'm lime The Percentage OF.
phosphoric acid although high. will prob
ably soon require an addition OF lime TO
increase It's availability. The potash. al
though low, would be sufficient for long
time IL lime were added. The nitrogen
content is unusually high
Sample No. 80 was sent from Lookout,
Skagit county by J. r. Reid. Concern
Ing this soil he writes: This Is a fair
sample OF the soil In about forty sections
in townships So and 81 north, range east.
with the exception that 1t is taken from
o heavy timber burn OF twenty or thirty
years ago, and / do not think 1t con-
talns as much vegetable matter as the
bulk OF this tract Of land. This soil rests
ON a siaty quartz formation, while the
surrounding country Outside these forty
sectionse Is a sandstone formation. Aside
from FIR. cedar, hesnIock. vine maple. and
cherry, there Is almost no vegetation sx-
cept tall fern and the dewberry. / have
no success ON this soil with red or white
clever. timothy. blue grass. red top. or
chard grass. alfalfa, vetch or biickwheat.
The soil is about two feet deep and rests
On a sibsoil composed Of a mixture OF
gray clay. sand and gravel"
The same remark applies to this as to
all the soils Of Western Washington. con-
corning lime. The lime percentage Is too
low to insure prodlctiveness for a lcng
period. The potash percentage is also
very low. while the phosphoric acid IS
high. The amount OF nitrogen Is suffi-
Gent. While the soil would be greatly
benefited by the application OF fertilizers
containing lime and potash. the analysis
does not reveal deficiency of plant foot
that would account for the failure of
grasses and cioyers TO thrive. Such fail
ure must be due either to climatic con-
ditions, or to peculiar physical features
OF the soil. In appearance 1t does rot
differ from most of the coast soils.
The chemical analysis throws very lit
tie light upon the causes Of a lack OF
proiuctiyeaass mechanical analysis
may reveal Them.
Cam. OF Pine City. Whitman county
No data accompanied II except the name
white earth.' by which It is locally
known. 1t is very light. ashy looking
material. and resembles quite closely IN
appearance the white siilcate SO common
In Western Nebraska and Colorado.
IT contains sufficient amounts of lime
potash and phosphoric acid for plant
ssstritian. AMI has remarkably high per-
cottages Of hsinus ard nitrogen for such
light, sihcaous substance.
A somewhat similar substance In ap-
pearance and composition is occasionally
found, at a depth Of eighteen TO twenty
Inches. en- the sunnysfde district OF Yaki-
ma county. underlying a soil that is said
70 grow only small brush.
Sample 50 was sent by John r. Reavis,
OF Spokane IL was taken from the farm
OF L. Il. Ellis. twenty miles south Of
RitgyiIle. Adams county The soil IS q
HIGHT sandy ioam ''ansa seems 70 extent
au the way down 20 The hard rock. fifty
10 seventy feet below"
The analysis shows an abundance OF
lime and phosphoric aetd. bat rather too
small an amount of potash, and too much
soda. for typical seil OF strength and
durability. The proportion 81 lrna Is
greater. ard nf aigirntna less than tn ,nost
soils of this class. The depth Of this
.usl ard It's wealth ef lime ard phox-
,sharic acis should make II good soil
fer fruits. II II were In belt Of proper
climatic conditions.
Sagrsgsse No 80 waS also taken In Adams
county only few mites from No -