Testing the presence of organic matter in soil

1199. The presence of organised matter in any soil may be ascertained very satisfactorily by weighing it after it is thoroughly dried; then subjecting it to a red heat and weighing it again, the weight so found will be the proportion of organic matter and carbonic acid gas, if there should have been any. The same object may also be attained by ascertaining the specific gravity of the soil, but with less accuracy.