61

Nov 6 1880

Casting Acid

(1) Fresh brown (ie from depth) castings from Lawn — most distinctly acid by litmus paper.

(2) brown from open Field very acid

(3) (4) both very black from ear hedge in sand-walk slightly not distinctly acid.

(5) rather less black from do — slightly acid

(6 & 7) close to borders of great pile of decayed leaves another the wood — very black & acid.

(Many calcareous matter constitutes acids pancreatic juice does not require acids & [6 words illeg] sucked down leaves [8 lines illeg]

61v

Nov 7th [1880]

Tried 5 castings fresh & old from bottom of chalk valley — some quite white — of all that the light brown, but latter contained much C. of Lime. — None of these 5 produced any effect on litmus paper.)

(Nov 7. 3 castings from near Hedge in Sandwalk very slightly acid

4 castings from lawn acid

Same trials were mainly made to reform those made yesterday

The above castings from near Hedge tried again next morning after being dried & now not acid as if acid had evaporated.

8° 4 more tried fresh from near Hedge of sandwalk & being a trace in 2 of them of acid so not minimally acid.

Mould from narrow flower bed close to Verandah — 4 trials — no vestiges of an effect of acid)

Mould amongst roots near surface of turfs 1 to 1 1/2 inch beneath surface

Spot on lawn drains near Brook 5 bits of mould from same clump all strangely acid.

from near Hedge in Sandwalk — 5 trails not in the least acid.

from border of field 4 trials not in the least acid

Leaf mould from Sand walk found leaf cutting at bottom 7 trials no acid

Again from lawn — 4 spots, one dampest when [illeg] above ground another shew moss & mortar another grass — near field all strangely acid. Ground very poor for having been long mown & never manured — ground [illeg] — acid from lawn does not [illeg]

If mould generally not acid, acid must be generated by decay of vege matter in intestines