ANALYSIS OF SOILS. S3 



The oxide of iron is the fame with the ruft produced by Oxide of iron, 

 expofing iron to the air and water ; it is found in all foils, but 

 is molt abundant in yellow and red clays, and in yellow and 

 red filiceous fands. 



A more minute account of thefe different fubftances would 

 be incompatible with the object of this paper. A full de- 

 fcription of their properties and agencies may be found in the 

 elementary books on chemiftry, and particularly in the S) ftem of 

 Chemiftry by Dr. Thomfon (2d Ed.) ; and in Henry's Epitome 

 t)f Chemiftry. 



III. lnjtruments required for ike Analyfis of Soils. 



The really important inftruments required for the analyfis instruments for 

 of foils are few, and but little expenfive. They are a balance f nai y fi *- A ba- 



uir * • ■ . e ■ i c /• -i ,ance > w 'g h;s » 



capable ot containing a quarter or a pound of common loir, f, eve> ] amp> 

 and capable of turning when loaded, with a grain ; a feries bottles, cru- 

 of weights from a quarter of a pound Troy to a grain; a wire °^^ mortar* 

 fieve, fufficiently coarfe to admit a pepper corn through its filters, knife, 

 apertures; an Argand lamp and (land; fome glafs bottles'; app * or 8 aes * 

 Heffian crucibles; porcelain, or queen's ware evaporating 

 bafons; a Wedgewood peftle and mortar; fome filters made 

 of half a fheet of blotting paper, folded fo as to contain a 

 pint of liquid, and greafed at the edges ; a bone knife, and 

 an apparatus for collecting and meafuring aeriform fluids. 



The chemical fubftances or reagents required for leparating Re-agents, 

 the constituent parts of the foil, are muriatic acid (fpirit of Mur- and futp. 

 fait), fulphuric acid, pure volatile alkali diflblved in water, pf^JJ^ ^ 

 folution of pruffiate of potato, foap lye, folution of carbonate lye, caib. amm. 

 of ammoniac, of muriate of ammonia, folution of neutral car- mu . r af " m * 



' carb. pot; 



Donate of potam, and nitrate of ammoniac. An account of nitr. amm. 

 the nature of thefe bodies, and their effects, may be found 

 in the chemical works already noticed ; and the reagents are 

 fold together with the inftruments mentioned above, by Mr. 

 Knight, Fofter Lane, Cheapfide, arranged in an appropriate 

 cheft. 



IV. Mode of collecting Soils for Analyfis. 



In cafes when the general nature of the foil of a field is to How famples of 

 be afcertained, fpecimens of it ftiould be taken from different foils ^ re to *• 

 places, two or three inches below the furface, and examined 

 as to the fimilarity of their properties. It fometimes happens, 

 that upon plains the whole of the upper jftiatura of the land is 



G2 «£ 



