716 FARMERS' REGISTER— SUPPOSED FORMATION OF PRAIRIES, 



pearance of that region, given in the articles re- 

 ferred to, over the signature of "A Planter," is 

 complete; the facts I will now flirni-sh relate to 

 the analyses of some of the varieties of soils. The 

 analyses were made by Drs. Cooper, Nott, and 

 Gibbs. The notes furnished me are not very com- 

 plete. 



The first was a sample of the bald prairie, from 

 the plantation of Col. Dcas, lying on Big Swamp, 

 Lowndes county. It is not known at what i)recise 

 depth it was taken. It contained twenty-live per 

 cent, of carbonate of lime — twenty-eight ol'vegeta- 

 ble matter: the balance not stated in the paper 

 lying before me. 



The second, was from the same plantation, and 

 a sample of slue prairie. It contained fifteen per 

 cent, of carbonate of lime — twenty-five of vege- 

 table matter — the rest aluminous earth and a small 

 quantity of silex and iron. 



The two next samples were from the plantation 

 of Elmore and Taylor, on Pintlala Creek, Mont- 

 gomery county, taken fi'om the open prairie. It 

 was taken up with great care, the earth being 

 first removed to the depth of six inches, and a 

 sample then taken up; the earth was then removed 

 to eighteen inches depth and a second sample ta- 

 ken up, and both carefully wrapped up and labelled 

 on the spot. The analysis resulted as tbllows : 



The first., taken six inches below the surface, 

 yielded carbonate of lime, thirty-eight per cent. — 

 vegetable matter twenty per cent. — silex, alumina, 

 oxide of iron forty-two per cent. 



The second specimen, taken at the game spo* 

 and eighteen inches below the surface, yielded 

 carbonate of lime f()rty-eight per cent. — vegetable 

 matter twenty-nine per cent. — silex, alumina, ox- 

 ide of iron, &c. twenty-three per cent. 



The two last developing a fact most remarka- 

 ble, an increase of vegetable matter as the ground 

 is penetrated. 



I will only add one other fact, leaving it to others 

 to explain the cause. On the same plantation, 

 there is in one of the fields, one of those bald prai- 

 rie hills, where the soil is nearly white. It has 

 now borne its seventh crop of corn, being unfit 

 for cotton. When first planted, it scarcely pro- 

 duced seed — but every subsequent year its product 

 rapidly increased, whhout manuring, till its crops 

 have been some years estimated at forty bushels of 

 corn to the acre. The last two years, a iew cot- 

 ton seed have been thrown into the hills, with 

 manifest advantage. I have seen one other field 

 of the like kind, where the result has been pre- 

 cisely alike. When I saw it three years ago the 

 crop was estimated at forty to fifly bushels of corn. 



The soil in these two fields is very similar to 

 that analyzed in the two last experiments, the 

 difference being something in color, that analyzed 

 being a few shades darker. The only apparent 

 cause for the increased fertility of these soils, un- 

 der cuhivation without manure, is the action of the 

 air upon the earths, and the small addition of vege- 

 table matter from tfie corn-stalks and grass. 



I mil, in conclusion, state that it is'very proba- 

 ble that I may receive specimens of more varieties 

 of these soils in the course of this spring, and if I 

 do, they will be given up for a like examination. 



[To the foregoing very interesting statement (in 

 which there is nothing wanting except the greater au- 



thority which the writer's name would have given,) 

 we will add some similar facts obtained from partial 

 analyses, (limited to ascertaining the proportions of 

 calcareous matter only,) of other prairie soils. It was 

 with the view of prosecuting these examinations that 

 we have more than once asked for specimens of prai- 

 rie soils — and we are much gratified to have here the 

 results obtained by others, of much higher credit and 

 authority in chemical investigations. We have been 

 the more forcibly impressed by the highly calcareous 

 nature of the prairie soils, so far as we have been ena- 

 bled to know any thing of their composition, from hav- 

 ing before ascertained the still more remarkable fact, 

 that (so far as examined) almost all the lands now, or 

 formerly, covered with wood, and even alluvial lands, 

 contain not an atom of carbonate of lime. This we 

 are sure of as to Virginia, and have as yet found no 

 difference in the soils of other states. It may be that 

 the quantity of lime in the prairie soils is the primary 

 cause of the strange absence of trees — that to the 

 same cause may be attributed the like peculiarities of 

 the vast steppes of Tartary and Russia, and the Pam- 

 pas of South America — and that to the more general 

 dilfusion of calcareous earth in European soils, is at- 

 tributable the general difficulty found there of raising 

 trees, the growth of which in our part of America, 

 can with difficulty be destroyed, and is renewed as 

 soon as the labor of man is merely withdrawn. We 

 invite others to aid in investigating this subject, and to 

 show whether these are baseless speculations, or sug- 

 gestions of some value. Before this cause of the for- 

 mation of prairies occurred to us, there appeared no 

 rational means for explaining the strange facts con- 

 nected with them. Most persons are satisfied to attri- 

 bute their formation to the annual fires made by the 

 Indians. These fires are doubtless the immediate 

 agents of the destruction of growing trees — but could 

 not have had that effect unless the soil was far more 

 favorable to the growth of rank grass than of trees, so 

 as to furnish abundant fuel for the destruction of the 

 latter. Fires were as frequent on the Atlantic coast, 

 without producing a single prairie. But this is wan- 

 dering too far, until more facts are furnished. The 

 few of like kind which follow, are extracted from the 

 second edition (now in the press) of the Essay on 

 Calcareous Manures.] 



The only soils of considerable extent of surface 

 which, from the specimens that I have examined, 

 appear to be highly calcareous, and to agree in 

 that respect, with many European soils, are from 

 the prairies, those lands of the west which, 

 whether rich or poor, are remarkable for being 

 destitute of trees, and covered with grass, so as to 

 form natural meadows. The examinations were 

 made but recently, (in 1834) and are reported be- 

 cause presenting striking exceptions to the general 

 constitution of soils in this country. 



20. Prairie soil of the most productive kind in 

 Alabama, is a black clay, with very little sand, 

 yet so far from being stifle, that it becomes too light 

 by cultivation. This kind of land is stated by the 

 friend to whom 1 am indebted fer the sjiecimens, 

 to "produce corn and oats most luxuriantly — and 

 also cotton lor two or three years; but after that 

 time cotton is subject to the rust, probably from the 

 then open state of the .soil, which by cultivation 



