32 



NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



comes dry. Its color js blackish brown, it contains nndecom- 

 posed bark, wood and some roots, but is mostly made up of 

 decomposed vegetable matter. The earthy part is not visible 

 as in many vegetable soils of the poorer class. 



On submitting it to analysis I found it composed of the 

 following elements : 



Silex, 05.540 



Organic matter, 26.100 



Water, 6.050 



Peroxide of iron and alumina, 4.920 



Garb, lime, 0.490 



Magneisa, 0.050 



Potash, 0.003 



Soda, 0.020 



Phosphoric acid, 0.003 



The silex, as in most of the good swamp soils, is extremely 

 line. Its color is drab, and hence probably contains a small 

 quantity of alumina which cannot be detached without being 

 attached b} T potash. 



This soil, it is evident, still contains the elements of fertility, 

 and it is also evident that it will bear cultivation for years to 

 come without exhaustion. It will be observed that the 

 natural growth upon this soil is one which indicates fertility. 

 as the poplar and black gum, and a large growth of short 

 leaved pine, the growth being very heavy. 



No. 2. This specimen or mass of soil consists apparently of 

 vegetable matter without any earth. It is black, and pre 

 serves a moist state, though it has been exposed to the air in 

 a box for several months ; and on being exposed in a drying 

 oven lost its moisture very slowly. It contains fresh vegeta 

 ble fibres, portions of partially decomposed wood and bark. 

 etc. Still it is rather homogeneous, and is unlike the coarse 

 fibrous soil of the open prairie of Carteret. 



On submitting this soil to analysis, I found it composed of 

 the following elements : 



Silex, 74.600 74.800 



Organic Matter, 18.000 18.100 



Peroxide of iron and alumina, 3.100 8.100 



Phosphoric acid, 0.021 trace, 



