viii 222 pages, illustrated, includes index and glossary. The jacket was once protected with plastic, leaving remnant sticky tape marks on both flaps, end papers and paste downs. Overall a clean, unmarked and solid copy. " Many people need a better understanding of the formation, classification, properties and fertility of soils - specifically Australian soils. Soil science, once restricted to schools of agricultural science and horticulture, now reaches out to secondary and tertiary students of ecology, geography and environmental science, to people concerned with natural resource management, to farmers - even to the home gardener. This comprehensive, interesting and readable book is not just another textbook. It is an institution. First published in 1948, Professor Leeper's book became, in the course of four editions, the bible in its field. Inevitably it dated - but nothing of comparable quality replaced it." (publisher 4th edition)