UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 miGULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 BULLETIN NO. 10. 
 
 Iln order to render the results of investigations 
 and experiments conducted by the Agricultural De- 
 partment of the University of California more quick- 
 ly and more generally available than has heretofore 
 been done through the annual or biennial reports, 
 it is proposed to embody hereafter, in the form of 
 "Bulletins," to be issued as often as may seem de- 
 sirable, reports of results, as well as such other discus- 
 sions, information or answers to questions as may 
 be of general interest. It is intended to make these 
 bulletins, as a rule, short enough for insertion in the 
 daily or weekly papers of the State, and proof-slips 
 of the same will be regularly mailed to papers apply- 
 ing therefor. The substance ot these bulletins will 
 ultimately be embodied in a more complete and con- 
 nected form, in the annual reports of the College of 
 Agriculture.] 
 
 Examination of Soils. 
 
 Soils from the WoocUide Ridge, San Mateo Co. 
 A set of soils from this neighborhood was fur- 
 nished by Mr. E. H. Rixford, of San Francisco. 
 They represent the ridtje or series of hills, be- 
 tween which and the coast range lies the valley 
 containing the hamlets of Woodside and Sears- 
 ville, as well as the reservoirs of the Spring 
 Valley Water Works. The elevation of the 
 ridge above the sea is 450 feet; its surface is 
 dotted with a variety of oaks, and there is' an 
 undergrowth of poison oak and "oak chapparal" 
 (Baccharis) with alfilerilla and grass. The soil 
 is of a somewhat tawny tint, sometimes inclined 
 to be heavy, but with a considerable admixture 
 of fine sand. The reddish-yellow subsoil is 
 quite stiffish, and is evidently derived from the 
 soft, clayey sandstone, that with serpentine, 
 forms most of the lower ridges of the peninsula 
 of San Francisco. The lighter soil is often 15 to 
 18 inches deep on the slopes, but the stiff subsoil 
 often lies nearer the surface, so that the actu- 
 ally arable soils vary between the two extremes. 
 Mr. Kixford states that the soil is usually best 
 where the blue rock or serpentine is near the 
 surface. Experience has shown that on the up- 
 lands these soils will not bear many crops with- 
 out some fertilization; and the information de- 
 effectual""^ fertilizer most likely to be 
 
 anildirfffir"'^*''^^ 
 
 No. 761. Soil from the ridge on Mr. Rixford's 
 place; said by him to be a fair average sample of the 
 land, taken to the depth of fifteen inches. Quite 
 friable even when dry. 
 
 No. 757. Subsoil from the Canyada road in front 
 of the property; appears to be about an average sub- 
 soil of the region. Color, yellow to reddish; lumps 
 when dry, hard and not easily crushed with the finger. 
 
 Soil. 
 No. 761. 
 
 Insoluble matter. 82.185 ) an Aia 
 
 Soluble silica 7 231 ) 
 
 Potash 304 
 
 Soda 171 
 
 Lime 198 
 
 Magnesia 365 
 
 Br. ox. of manganese 105 
 
 Peroxide of iron 2.383 
 
 Alumina 4,170 
 
 Phosphoric acid 019 
 
 Sulphuric acid 027 
 
 Water and orjjanic matter .^.183 
 
 Subsoil. 
 No. 757. 
 50.407 ) 
 22.442 / 
 
 72.849 
 
 .439 
 .457 
 .711 
 .955 
 .055 
 
 7.318 
 12.412 
 .014, 
 .009 
 
 4.189 
 
 99.402 
 .248 
 .204 
 11.485 
 
 100.340 
 
 Humus 630 
 
 Available inorganic 445 
 
 Hygrosttopic moisture 3.004 
 
 Absorbed at 9.5 "(C.) 9.5 '(C.) 
 
 These analyses show a very marked difiFerence 
 between the lighter surface soil and the clayey 
 subsoil. The latter, though rather heavy in 
 working, would form a good soil in all but one 
 respect, viz.: that it is extremely deficient in 
 phosphoric acid; hut it contains good propor- 
 tions of lime and potash, and where humus is 
 added by its lying near the surface, should be 
 thrifty whenever the phosphates are supplied. 
 The surface soil is almost equally deficient in 
 phosphates, but has the disability of a relatively 
 small amount of lime. Liming will, theretore, 
 benefit chiefly the lighter soils of the region, 
 while phosphates — say bone meal— are needed 
 by both, about equally, and urgently. 
 
 Pre>idio Soils, San Francisco — The same 
 characteristic of extremely low phosphoric 
 acid percentages is shown in the analyses 
 of soils from the Presidio of San Fran- 
 cisco, of which a set was furnished by Major 
 W. A. Junes, of the Engineer Corps. These 
 soils show a larger supply of potash and lime, 
 but no better average percentage of phosphoric 
 acid, even m the low ground. This seems, 
 therefore, to be the besetting defect of the up- 
 land soils of the San Francisco peninsula, so 
 far as they are derived from the sandstone and 
 serpentine formation; and the knowledge of 
 this fact should lead to a more frequent use of 
 
the bone fertilizers manufactured in the city, 
 but which now are mainly shipped across the 
 Pacific to the islands and to Australia. 
 
 It should be added that at least from Menlo 
 Park southward there is a sensible improve- 
 ment, and in the Santa Cruz range, as well as at 
 Pescadero, the natural supply of phosphates is 
 quite satisfactory. 
 
 Subsoil from an unproductive spot in the 
 Orchard of Mr. R. G. JJean, Brentwood, Contra 
 Costa Co. — Regarding this spot, which seems to 
 represent a number of similar cases in that re- 
 gion, Mr. Dean writes: 
 
 "Trees or vines live, but will not flourish in it, A 
 row of Monterey cypress along the fence has the ap- 
 pearance of a young pinery scorched with flame. 
 Fruit trees dwarf and grow feebly as they near this 
 fatal spot. Grain, alfilerilla and foxtail grow luxuri- 
 antly, but the principal growth when under cultiva- 
 tion is the weed sent herewith, the roots of which 
 penetrate several fe:t, and no amount of plowing or 
 disturbance will eradicate it" 
 
 This weed was not recognized with certainty. 
 The surface soil is a mouse-colored, fairly re- 
 tentive loam; and, as from its character and the 
 
 I report of its production of grasses there is no 
 I doubt of its productiveness, it was not analyzed, 
 I The subsoil was taken from the depth of about 
 eight to eighteen inches. It is much lighter 
 colored and much sandier than the surface soil, 
 showing a material change downwards. The 
 analysis of this subsoil gave the following re- 
 sult: 
 
 Insoluble matter. 71.499 ) tc n^c 
 
 Soluble silica 5.447; '^"^^^ 
 
 Potash 726 
 
 Soda 253 
 
 Lime 1.065 
 
 Magnesia , 1.747 
 
 Br. oxide of manganese 303 
 
 Peroxide 0/ iron 7.218 
 
 Alumina 7.734 
 
 Phosphoric acid 032 
 
 Sulphuric acid 049 
 
 Water and organic matter 4.280 
 
 100.372 
 
 Humus 737 
 
 Available inorganic .778 
 
 Hygroscopic moisture. 8.999 
 
 Absorbed at 11°(C.) 
 
 This subsoil shows one deficiency, viz., in the 
 supply of phosphoric acid. In all other respects 
 the material would count as a good and even 
 generous soil. The surface soil is doubtless 
 much richer in phosphoric acid, and the deeper 
 portions of the subsoil much ))oorer, so that the 
 deep-rooted plants and trees, being in summer 
 deprived of the use of the surface soil by the 
 drought, cannot obtain a proper supply of the 
 needful plant food. But besides this, the con- 
 dition of the subsoil points to a lack of proper 
 drainage. 
 
 The obvious remedy would be to work in as 
 deeply as possible, and in advance of the winter 
 rains, a eood doae of bone mea\. or oreferably 
 
 superphosphate. The water would then gradu- 
 ally carry the needed supply of phosphates down 
 within reach of the deeper roots, so as to give 
 them sustenance in summer. 
 
 Granite Soil from near Pino Station, C. P. 
 R. R., Placer county, sent by Mr. E. W. 
 Maslin, of Sacramento, who thus describes the 
 general character of the country. 
 
 "There are about 8o square n)iles. of such land 
 lying between Boulder ridge and the North Fork 
 of the American river, and between Roseville and 
 the south and Auburn ravine on the north. The 
 ground is grey when dry; when damp, brown or 
 reddish. In places the soil is 9 to lo ft deep; in 
 some places not over one foot. The subsoil also 
 varies in depth and character. On the hills the sub- 
 soil rests on a red, rotten granite, into which the 
 roots of trees and shrubs penetrate. It has been 
 dug with the pick to the depth of 20 ft. In the 
 valleys there underlies a gritty clay, here called 
 'cement,' but also penetrable by roots. Water is 
 within 10 to 12 ft of the surface on the hills in 
 summer. The natural growth is live oak, white onk. 
 Digger and nut pine, chaparral 8 to 10 ft high, 
 abundance of poison oak, and 'California holly" (red 
 haw, Photinia)." 
 
 Specimens of vine canes, the growth of one 
 season, accompanying the soil samples, showed 
 a very good length, although planted late in 
 the dry season of 1881-2, and never irrigated. 
 
 Of the samples sent it seemed most desirable 
 to examine the hill soil, which seems to be the 
 typical one, from which the rest are derived 
 and vary more or less. It is a reddish-grey, 
 sandy loam, the sand mostly coarse and con- 
 sisting largely of granitic debris; it should till 
 easily at all times. The subsoil, below the 
 depth of twelve inches, is somewhat lighter 
 colored and more sandy. The soils from the 
 depressions or valleys seem to differ from the 
 hill laud mainly in being somewhat heavier and 
 also of a darker tint. 
 
 The analysis of the hill soil gave the following 
 result: 
 
 Insoluble matter ^ft'^,ul \ 
 
 Soluble silica. 6.283 ) 
 
 Potash 
 
 Soda 
 
 Lime 
 
 yagnesia 
 
 Br. oxide of manganese 
 
 Peroxide of iron T^Vmk 
 
 Alumina ^'^^^^ 
 
 Phosphoric acid "^g 
 
 Sulphuric acid o\o<< 
 
 Water and organic matter "' •"'^ 
 
 100.065 
 .514 
 
 .332 
 
 85.225 
 
 .653 
 .298 
 .758 
 1.280 
 .087 
 
 Humus 
 
 Available inorganic. 
 
 2.142 
 
 Hygroscopic moisture inv, 1 
 
 Absorbed at ^" ^ ' 
 
 This analysis shows the soil to contain good 
 percentages of mineral plant food, except phos- 
 phoric acid, of which the supply is quite small 
 and would not hold out long under the cultiva- 
 tion of cereal crops. Compared with the red 
 
soil around Auburn (see report for 1879, page 
 21), this soil contains only one-fifth as much 
 phosphoric acid, somewhat less lime, but nearly 
 twice the amount of potash; a circumstance 
 that, with the comparatively small supply of 
 humus, low retentiveness, but usually consider- 
 able depth and a substratum of " rotten" gran- 
 ite, points to its adaptation to the production of 
 grapes, of which quality rather than quantity 
 would form the chief recommendation. The 
 I fig and olive, and probably the cherry, would 
 i also do well on the hill soil, while in the val- 
 leys, where both phosphates and humus are 
 doubtless more abundant and the soil is more 
 retentive, other fruits would thrive ; but 
 
 wherever the growth languishes the use of bone 
 meal should be very effective. 
 
 Except as to inferior retentiveness and humus 
 supply, this soil is very similar in composition 
 to that of Vaca valley, on which cherries flour- 
 ish so well. Details regarding the latter will 
 be given in a future "bulletin;" but it is im- 
 portant to note the frequent deficiency in phos- 
 phates that characterizes the soils of many re- 
 gions in the State, and the importance of an 
 adequate supply of phosphatic fertilizers to the 
 continued prosperity of such districts, 
 
 E. W. HiLGABD. 
 
 Berkeley, Cal., April 16, 1884.