Basic cation fractions, total, exchangeable and nonexchangeable of five Pennsylvania soils were measured by chemical dissolution or extraction. Although the soils differed in the magnitude of the fractions due to differences in previous management history, texture and mineralogy, the patterns for the fractions of each cation were: Ca ‐ total > exchangeable > nonexchangeable, Mg ‐ total > non‐exchangeable > exchangeable and K ‐ total > nonexchangeable ≥ exchangeable. For the cations relative to each other the‐ patterns were: total ‐ K > Mg > Ca, nonexchangeable ‐ Mg > Ca > K and exchangeable ‐Ca > Mg > K. Acid soluble cations (boiling 1 N HC1, 1:3.5 soil to solution ratio) generally increased through four hours of boiling. Comparisons of the quantities of exchangeable cations calculated to be in a soil surface to the potential quantities taken up by alfalfa or corn grain emphasize the importance of resupply mechanisms and/or contributions from the subsoil for K and Mg, especially when alfalfa is grown.