The rubber tree book . o mislead ananalyst. It is well, however, that planters should be able to makesome simple and yet very informative tests for of the soil can be easily detected by the use of smallpieces of litmus paper, which can be obtained from any chemistfor two or three pence. This litmus paper is manufacturedby dipping a specially-prepared paper in a solution of has the peculiar property of turning to red when in contactwith acid. If the litmus paper is inserted into the middle of ahandful of soil and turns red, it is a sign that the soil is aci
The rubber tree book . o mislead ananalyst. It is well, however, that planters should be able to makesome simple and yet very informative tests for of the soil can be easily detected by the use of smallpieces of litmus paper, which can be obtained from any chemistfor two or three pence. This litmus paper is manufacturedby dipping a specially-prepared paper in a solution of has the peculiar property of turning to red when in contactwith acid. If the litmus paper is inserted into the middle of ahandful of soil and turns red, it is a sign that the soil is acid might be the harmless carbonic acid always present inthe soil, but in that case the carbonic acid would volatilizeas the paper dried. If the paper remains red when dried it is aproof that the soil contains fixed acids or acid salts and shouldhave an application of lime to correct the fault. Hydrochloric acid is constantly used by agricultural chemistsin testing for the presence of lime in the soil. If, when a few 244. Fig. -View showing Weeds heaped in Lines on gentle slopes tostop yVash of Soil. MANURING 247 drops of hydrochloric acid are poured on to a handful of soil,there is a foaming or effervescence, that is a sign of the presenceof calcium or magnesium carbonate. If no foaming or effer-vescence takes place it is evident that lime is not present, atleast in the form of carbonate. The tests employed by analytical chemists in analysingsoils are, of course, more complicated and more soil is generally ignited to determine by loss the amount ofhumus and combined water and part is also treated in solutionwith various acids to detect the presence and the proportionsof nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium,etc., and to indicate what deficiencies should be supplied. Adeficiency of any of these chemical elements always manifestsitself in poor and backward growth and in liability to benefits of manuring are founded on the axiom that nogr
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