95 
ANALYSIS. 
Manitoba. 
Russia. 
Sand 
59-82 
53-71 
Silica, amorphous 
5-45 
12.80 
Ferric oxide 
4.00 
4-13 
Alumina 
7.14 
6.04 
Titanic oxide 
.64 
.63 
Lime 
.61 
75 
Magnesia 
.61 
.21 
Sulphuric oxide 
03 
.06 
Carbonic oxide 
37 
.02 
Phosphoric oxide 
13 
.16 
Potash (with trace of Soda) 
1. 91 
1.97 
Organic matter 
12.49 
14.91 
Containing humus (soluble in ammonia) 
( -45) 
( -44) 
" total nitrogen 
( -44) 
( .31) 
Water 
6.86 
5-04 
99.76 
100.43 
" With the exception of the amounts of carbonic acid, and of the propor- 
tion of the silica which is amorphous, the composition of these two 
specimens is almost identical. 
"The peculiarly large amounts of organic matter and nitrogen, as 
well as of the principal constituents of the ash of plants, lime, potash 
and phosphoric acid, are all to be noted and accord with the well known 
exceeding fertility of each of these soils. 
" The soil from Manitoba is described by Dr. Dawson as spread 
with great uniformity over the Red River Valley, a wide prairie on 
the first or lowest prairie level of the north western country. It has a 
depth of say one to four feet, and consists of the superficially modified 
parts of the sediments of a later glacial or post-glacial lake, which at 
greater depths are found in the form of well bedded silts The 
surface is a dark mould, composed of the same material as the subsoil, 
but mingled with much vegetable matter The uniform fertility of 
this soil cannot be exaggerated. 
"The Tschernozem or Black Earth of Russia has long been famous 
by reason of the heavy crops which it has, in many localities, annually 
produced for almost a century. Prof. Krassnof, in a paper (Proc. Geol. 
S. Amer. 1891, p. 68,) describes it as distributed over the steppes of the 
