20 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. 



ANALYSIS OF A MAGNESIAN LIMESTONE SOIL FROM THE SOUTHERN BLUFFS 

 OF CALLAWAY COUNTY, BY DR. LITTON. 



Soil No. 14. 



Water expelled by heating to 150 C 1.1700 



Organic matter and water not driven off at 150 C 9.6299 



Silica, etc., insoluble in hydrochloric acid 54.2600 



Soluble silica 0.1639 



Alumina 10.8588 



Peroxide of iron 2.5186 



Manganese a trace 



Lime 8.0720 



Magnesia 1.6609 



Potassa 1.6378 



Soda 0.3442 



Carbonic acid - 10.1111 



Sulphuric acid 0.0605 



Phosphoric acid 0.0950 



Chlorine 0.0053 



Total 100.5880 



This soil is all that could be desired for the culture of the 

 grape. It contains an abundance of all the mineral substances 

 which enter into the composition of the vine, as shown above 

 by its analysis. While it is warm, light and dry, it contains 

 large quantities of magnesia and vegetable matter, or humus, 

 giving it great capacity for absorbing and retaining a sufficient 

 quantity of moisture, even in the droughts of summer. 



This is a fair representative of the soils on the Magnesian 

 Limestone ridges and slopes throughout Central and Southern 

 Missouri. These slopes and ridges occupy millions of acres, 

 now deemed worthless, which are, in fact, by far the most 

 valuable lands in this part of the State for the cultivation of 

 the grape. Especially is this true of those located upon the 

 southern highlands, away from the vapors and sudden changes 

 of our large rivers and their broad valleys. 



The Magnesian Limestone series, from which this soil is 

 derived, occupies a large part of the poor portions of the coun 

 try on the South-western Branch. The Magnesian Limestones, 

 sandstones, porous chert, and the thin beds of reddish, brown 

 marly clays that usually overlie the limestones, all combine to 

 form a soil light, dry, warm and rich, in all the elements 

 needed for the grape, as shown by the foregoing analysis. In 

 many places this soil is underlaid with a sufficient quantity of 



