"Phil L" wrote in message
...
Arjen wrote:
:: There is now a test for sale at eBay to test the level of Active
:: Organic Matter in your soil. The more active OM - the better;
:: excellent for organic farmers and growers, or for your allotment.
:: See:


They're not really of any use for gardeners or farmers - they are
primarilly
used by civile engineers and construction companies to find if any
organic
matter exists in sand and aggregates prior to using them for
concrete
etc...organic matter will eventually disintegrate, thus leaving the
concrete
severely weakened...of little importance for a garden path, but
immensely
important if your building a motorway bridge or multi-storey office
block.

That is as maybe. What bothers me is what property of "Active Organic
Matter" it is which causes it to colour a test liquid. Remember, it
must be a property common to *all* "Active Organic Matter", and absent
from all other organic matter, or indeed all other matter.

Franz