Partial Percentage Composition

Source of soil Humid Arid
Number of samples analyzed 696 573
Insoluble residue 84.17 69.16
Soluble silica 4.04 6.71
Alumina 3.66 7.61
Lime 0.13 1.43
Potash 0.21 0.67
Phos.  Acid 0.12 0.16
Humus 1.22 1.13

Soil chemists have generally attempted to arrive at a determination of the fertility of soil by treating a carefully selected and prepared sample with a certain amount of acid of definite strength.  The portion which dissolves under the influence of acids has been looked upon as a rough measure of the possible fertility of the soil.

The column headed “Insoluble Residue” shows the average proportions of arid and humid soils which remain undissolved by acids.  It is evident at once that the humid soils are much less soluble in acids than arid soils, the difference being 84 to 69.  Since the only plant-food in soils that may be used for plant production is that which is soluble, it follows that it is safe to assume that arid soils are generally more fertile than humid soils.  This is borne out by a study of the constituents of the soil.  For instance, potash, one of the essential plant foods ordinarily present in sufficient amount, is found in humid soils to the extent of 0.21 per cent, while in arid soils the quantity present is 0.67 per cent, or over three times as much.  Phosphoric acid, another of the very important plant-foods, is present in arid soils in only slightly higher quantities than in humid soils.  This explains the somewhat well-known fact that the first fertilizer ordinarily required by arid soils is some form of phosphorus: 

The difference in the chemical composition of arid and humid soils is perhaps shown nowhere better than in the lime content.  There is nearly eleven times more lime in arid than in humid soils.  Conditions of aridity favor strongly the formation of lime, and since there is very little leaching of the soil by rainfall, the lime accumulates in the soil.

The presence of large quantities of lime in arid soils has a number of distinct advantages, among which the following are most important:  (1) It prevents the sour condition frequently present in humid climates, where much organic material is incorporated with the soil. (2) When other conditions are favorable, it encourages bacterial life which, as is now a well-known fact, is an important factor in developing and maintaining soil fertility. (3) By somewhat subtle chemical changes it makes the relatively small percentages of other plant-foods notably phosphoric acid and potash, more available for plant growth. (4) It aids to convert rapidly organic matter into humus which represents the main portion of the nitrogen content of the soil.