50 NOKTH-CAKOLINA GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY. 



potash, all of which are required to impart fertility to a soil 

 defective as this is in each of those elements. 



No. 3. Color, brown, fine grained, and has apparently con 

 siderable vegetable matter in its composition. It has no 

 lumps of earth, but is reduced to a granular state; or in other 

 words it is pulverulent and light. 



One hundred grains, on being submitted to analysis, gave 

 me 



Silex, 89.800 



Alumina and peroxide of iron, 2.550 



Lime, 0.151 



Magnesia, 0.020 



Phosphoric acid, trace, 



Sulphuric acid, 0.020 



Potash, 0.001 



Soda, O.C02 



Organic matter, 3.100 



Water, 3.000 



98.144 



The quantity of organic matter is less than its appearance 

 before analysis indicated, and this is often the case in the soils 

 in the eastern part of the State. 



Many chemists regard the organic matter as of little im 

 portance. Experience and the best conducted experiments, 

 however, prove that it is a necessary constituent of a good 



soil. 



Here, also, the lime or alkaline earths and alkalies are defi 

 cient, at least to raise good crops of maize, or any of the 

 cereals. Besides there is a great excess of silex, but it is in 

 a fine condition, indeed in none of the samples is it ever 

 coarse ; it, therefore, makes a better basis upon which to work 

 than if this were a coarse sand, inasmuch as it is better con 

 ditioned to hold or retain water. 



No. 4. Color, nearly black, with organic matter, and fine 

 grained. Ignition leaves it of a drab color. 



I found its composition, on submitting it to analysis, to be 

 as follows: 



