The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-03-04

Soils" In speaking ~ the value Of a
chemical analysis. says: There is prob
ably no one subject In connection with
their profession that Is so little under
stood by farmers generally rs that OF
the real value to be attached TO a chem
l Teal analysis. Indeed. ! may say that
Z there Is scarcely a question that Is the
Z subject OF so much discussion and dis
| agreement. even among the agrlcultur-
al chemists Of tho country as that OF
the real Importance 60 be attached to
such an analysis. one line OF authori-
Ties. headed by Or. Hilgard. the direc-
tor OF tho California experiment sta
ton, relies most strongly upon such an
analysis. while others, Of perhaps equal
prominence, at least IN other lines. do
not place 80 much reliance upon H. All
agree however. that something Ia TO be
gained by careful chemical study OF n
SOIL. Even those who do not agree
wholly with Ililgard concedo that,
whilst chemical analysis fails TO In
dlcate the exact degree Of availability
OF soil constituents. II will at least re-
veal the approximate total quantity Of
the several constituents present thoro-
In. aud In this indicating either the suf-
fclency or deficiency Of the several soil
essentials, II proves itself very helpful
to the agricultural. even though II
does fail 10 show the exact degree OF
availability OF a single soil constituent.
II must DO conceded that II Il does this
only, chemical analysis Is Of sufficient
Importance TO warrant It's being under
taken, for II Il can tell a farmer that
MS soil contains n suniclont quantity
OF one element and Ia probably entirely
lacking In another. II at least aifordN
him rational basis for inaugurating
series OF practical aoii-tcat oxperl1
menta with fertilizers that will enable
him 10 answer the question definitely
and thus save himself the risk Of pur-
chasing and applying certain fertilizers
on particular soil that are not needed
by II and that would prove a useless
expenditure n applied. II will be seen
that the weak point In an analysis IL
that, while II reveals what a soil actu-
ally contains and in what proportions
the several constituents are present.
II does not state with absolute accuracy
just how much OF that plant food IL IN
an available form. that Is. In form
suited for plant assimilation. This Ia
M Important matter. for. other things |
being equal. the actual productlyonoss
OF any soil will depend not 10 much |
upon the total amount OF plant food II |
contains aa upon the proportion OF that |
food which Ia In an available form. And |
until Il IN possible for IN analysis 10
reveal with much accuracy the degree
OF availability OF any plant food essen
tial. II cannot be said that chemical
methods arc entirely perfected and ta-
pablo OF furnishing Information Ia all
respects satisfactory. Il 10 encouraging
70 p9is that many chemists are at the
present time engaged In perfectinE
methods with this object IN view.
II frequently happens that whom soils
are barren their failure 10 produoe 10
due 10 the presence Of certain poiaoni
Gus substances. such m aulphato or sui
phid OF Iron. When such IL the case. .
chemical analysis will reveal the fact
and chemistry will provide a remedy.