TESTING THE SOIL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 397, 5 January 1909, Page 2

TESTING THE SOIL

EVERY'FARMEB! HISI OWN ■'■ ...;The amo.unt.of sand, silt/clay, and humna ; ■ lriva soil.may easily.be:deternline4(r.ayßyie-- * '■ Hawkesbury Agricultural.: College : |T6ttrnal) ; . •'■■'-. '.- by a simple mechanical analysis, though iipt .■,'."' ' as exact as.when made.in .the laboratory,. Y First.examine the.soi! sample closelv' in. tmi;;"•."•': '■ hand,' then with a lens; Note.-the colour ,■;.':' look for dark particles of ,HubV : a ■. ' portion betiveai the,fingers to deteriflilio:: the -:> ■ - : - textureand size of.particles. If smooth: it "is"-' ''■','■ -.'" mostly clay and 6ilt. Moisten a quantity and.-,"-" squeeze it hard. If it retains its.ihape"after '.••■ .releasing-:pressure, the.soil slay and silt, and must be worked.carefully,; ■ 3 if triable it contains much humus and sand. :/■.-_"■- A more exact form of abalysig is as .>. ;: Take' a qirart of moist soil asit opmes'froia!:, ■■!■..■. the field,.screen out. coa.rß_e particle's.';a'nd..'..i ■■ weigh carefully. Spread- thinly on pani/and •.,-.■./■. . place in oven or on back of stove, and^alloW ;•/ ■■■,?■ to dry.: Weigh when'dry; and. calculate; the r:..: ' water content. Then place the dry soil .upqp- ;,.;. . coal shovel! on hot coals or in very hot oveil. : ;'c .:'■.'. The humus in the.soiLwill smoke and.burn. '.'■ :\ Good soils should shrink considerably. The ; - ; sand,-silt, andclay may .then'be separated. '■'- .-■■ ■ Take a large bottlej two to fotir quarts, put. in burned soil, and fill with. Watery and shake: vigorously!. Place;on table and 'allow 'to i ..■-;.'• 'settle. -The coarse settle first,'then-i r : ': the medium and finesand, while the.:silt aud'r' ■:, ,clay will remain; ;in suspension for• several :i' >"[. days. .When all is- deposited the sdnd.will i>--v-/ bp at;,the bottom, the'silt next, and the clay, vv : pntop. 'The manner of'settling and amounts'- ''i - of sediment enable bne.to estimat6..roughly.; ■; -i , the proportional amounts ..of silt, and -•■"-■'■ ' clay. It is better to take a composite sainple; b , '-- to'test..- ■. ■' ' : ."•; _ ■■:<[■ : ;: : vv "■■■■-, v '<.:.-%:,■ :-. The character of a soil; its water-holding* '""•;:. capacity, aeratidn,. andrelative fertility, ;art. ; ;Y determined-largely by the relative' amounts': i of sand, silt; clay, and humus present. : ■In V-ri purchasing" a farm .or in adjusting some ;nex- ■£,'< ctop to■ a field it is often'-desirable'tojjn'aka/V - • some simple tests which will indicate in a.-'. ; general way- the adaptability of -the soil for '. : •the purpose intended.';■."/_'.•.''./' J."' ;.;.'*•'.;. x V; r '?,'