46 



Baltimore Couniij, Md. — The followinp; insects were to a greater or less extent destruc- 

 tive in our county the past season : The Hessian-fly, on wheat ; cut-worms, on corn ; more 

 caterpillars than usual on fruit trees ; and potatoes were injured by a worm preying 

 on the roots or lower parts of the vines. When this insect came to i)erfection, it was 

 a small bug of a black color. 



Madison, III. — From August to October, swarms of moth, which proved to be the 

 Angaiimois wheat-moth, as described in the annual report for 18.56, were seen, especially 

 at sundown, around wheat-stacks and thrashiug-machiues and in granaries. 



RAVENOUS SQUIRRELS. 



Contra Costa, Cal. — On ground not overrun by squirrels wheat averaged 20 bushels 

 per acre. The loss by the depredations of squirrels and goi)hers will average one-fourth 

 of the crop. 



CHEMICAL MEMORANDA. 



By Wm. McMurtrie, Chemist. 



Soil analysis. — Great difiQcnlt.v has generally been experienced by 

 analysts in fixing upon a method by wliieh the absolute fertility of a soil 

 may be determined, or at least one which will afford results indicating a 

 degree of fertility that will correspond with the experiences of actual 

 practice, and founded upon the amount of the crops produced from it. 

 Many soils containing a considerable quantity of organic matter in the 

 form of humus have the mineral elements of plant-food locked up in or- 

 ganic combinations', which are insoluble in water, and, therefore, unless 

 these combinations be acted upon by other materials having a 

 stronger solvent power, and which may at the same time be I'eadily 

 taken up by the plants, they must lie dormant in the soil. In the de- 

 coni{)osition of the nitrogenous matters of the soil, carbonic acid and 

 ammonia are formed. Alkaline carbonates are known to have a solvent 

 action upon the hmmis of the soil, and these substances are the materi- 

 als which do the most work in supplying plants with nutritive principles. 

 It is therefore evident that when we make use of the stronger acids in 

 our analyses, we go further than the forces brought to bear in nature will 

 warrant. Mons. L. Grandeau has thoroughly developed this idea in his 

 investigations upon the black soils of Russia, and has found that in all 

 cases the sample of soil to be analyzed should be exhausted with a di- 

 lute solution of carbonate of ammonia, since, he says, this latter reagent 

 plays the part, first, of an acid, and then of a base, and that the inter- 

 vention of a strong acid, such as chloihydric, is unnecessary. This De- 

 I)artment has lately had an opportunity of making a practical applica- 

 tion of M. Grandeau's ideas and of his method of soil analysis. During 

 the past >ear we received, through Lieut. Col. S. C. Lyford, of the 

 Ordnance Office of the VV'ar Department, a sample of black soil from 

 the plantation of Mr. P. Kemble Paulding, on Brae's Island, Beaufort 

 County, South Carolina. The sample in question had every appearance 

 of being decidedly fertile, but as far as the cotton-crop is concerned, 

 experience has proved that quite the opposite is the case, as may be 

 seen from Colonel Lyford's communication. He says : 



It having been found impracticable to raise cotton from this soil, Mr. Paulding de- 

 sires to know what constituents are present which prevent the cultivation of such a 

 crop. As a great deal of such soil is found on the various islands of the South Atlantic 

 coast, a complete analysis will be of great interest to the planters of that section. 



In compliance with the suggestion of Colonel Lyford, a qualitative ex- 

 amination of the soil was made, revealing the presence of protosulphate 

 of iron ; and this fact may be considered sufficient cause of failure in the 

 production of cotton. A complete quantitative analysis has, however, 



