The beneficial effect of the drying of soils upon their fertility has been a recognised fact in agricultural practice for many centuries. Russell, (16., p.p. 343-344), points out that this effect has been brought about, either by the exposure of the soil to the baking heat of the sun -- as in India and in Egypt, (Prescott (15) ), or by deliberate burning ofthe soil. The increasing interest in soil science within recent years has stimulated investigation of this phenomenon from various viewpoints: evidence has accumulated to show that the beneficial effects of drying are due to changes in both the physical and the microbiological conditions of the soil. [...]

Gray, P. (Supervisor)