Show chemistry of the soil undoubtedly one of the most won darful d cohenes coi enes of modern chemistry has to do with the soil aas the satur da evening post it haa been iscer bained that the most barren land can be made rich amply bi adding to it certain mineral elements which cost but little on this basis it la estimated that the united baates mil be ible eventually to maintain people more than 01 e third of the present population of the world it ie merely a question of su pling the quantities of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash the last two are readily obtainable at small expense whereas the first may supplied either by furnishing to the soil condensed nitrogen in the shape of slaughter waste of of soda or by planting clover beans or peas which have an affinity for nitrogen and absorb it from the that nitrogen is the most important plant food and easm ich ag this ele ment four fifths of the atmos phere the question is to merely absorb it into the boil it has also come to be understood that only 2 per cent of the materiel mate of flints is derived froan the soil the remaining 98 per cent is dr two rom the a ir and from w ater |