308 



Analysis of marh from the vicinity of Marshall Hall, Cliarles County, Maryland. 



No. 1. 



Organic matter and moisture 2. 030 



Carbonate of lime 54. 070 



Carbonate of magnesia 1. 304 



Phosphoric acid 0. 350 



Peroxides of iron and alumina 2. 955 



Alkalies 1.000 



Silica 38.291 



100.000 



No. 2, 



Organic matter and moisture 1. 900 



Carbonic acid , 1.214 



Phosphoric acid 0. 653 



Lime 9. 465 



Peroxides of iron and alumina 2. 207 



Alkalies 0.800 



Silica 83.761 



100. 000 



No. 3. 



Water 1.950 



Organic matter 1. 980 



Carbonate of lime 35. 504 



Carbonate of magnesia 3. 550 



Phosphoric acid ; 0. 210 



Peroxides of iron and alumina G. 095 



Alkalies 0. .500 



Silica 50.211 



100. 000 



No. 1 is a fair average specimen of shell-marl, containing in a ton 

 (2,000 pounds) 1,080 pounds of carbonate of lime, 6 pounds of phos- 

 phoric acid, and 20 pounds of alkalies, chiefly potassa. Xo. 2 is a green- 

 sand marl, containiug but 189.30 pounds of lime and 16 pounds of alka- 

 lies per ton, but giving 13 pounds of phosphoric acid in that weight. 



The mineral elements for a crop of 25 bushels of wheat per acre (the 

 straw being returned to the soil) will be furnished by 2^ tons of No. 1 

 or IJ of No. 2 i)er acre. These marls, when dried, can be easily pow- 

 dered, so that they can be readily distributed by means of a drill, or 

 scattered broadcast over the ground. In this condition they maybe mixed 

 with bone-meal, superphosphate of lime, guano, or any other fertilizer 

 that the farmer may choose to use. The marl, fresh from the bank, may 

 be composted with barn-yard manure to a good advantage. 



The large amount of lime and sand with which its more valuable 

 ingredients are mixed will forbid the transportation of this marl to any 

 great distance ; but farmers living within reach of them will find in 

 these marl-beds a cheap and valuable means of enriching their soils. 



Mineral constituents op wheat. — A series of very interesting 

 experiments, conducted by R. Heinrich, are given in Ann. der Land- 

 wirltschaft. The object' of the experimenter was to ascertain the 

 relation which lime, potassa, and phosphoric acid bear to the several 

 proximate elements of the grain. The grain was subjected to analysis 

 at five different stages of its growth : 1. The ovaries were collected 

 and analysed while the plant was in bloom. 2. Fourteen days later 

 another examination was made. 3. At the end of another fourteen days. 



