Extraction with hot 3 N NaOH removed more total organic P, and inositol P fractions, from Scottish and Canadian soils than did extraction with hot 6 N HCl, hot concentrated HCl, or 0.2 M aqueous acetylacetone at pH 8. Only a relatively small amount of the organic P in the acetylacetone extracts could be adsorbed by anion exchange resins unless the extracts were first subjected to hydrolysis with NaOH. This in one case led to a fivefold increase in the phosphate adsorbed and subsequently eluted with NH4 formate. The proportion of higher inositol phosphates (penta- and hexa-) to the lower esters was greater in the Scottish than the Canadian soils. Paper chromatography revealed that compounds with Rf values similar to glycerophosphate and glucose-1-P were present in some fractions. Gas and paper chromatography of the fractions after acid hydrolysis revealed compounds with retention times and Rf values corresponding to glycerol and ribitol, but their identity was not confirmed. The neo-, DL-, scyllo- and myo-isomers of the inositol were identified in fractions containing lower inositol phosphates (iP2, iP3, iP4) and in those containing the higher esters.