CALCAREOUS MANURES— APPENDIX. 17/3 



and earth, inasmuch as the soil consists principally of geine. The report 

 of Sprengel, according to which, it [this character of soil] is produced in 

 consequence of the absence of the bases which are found in fertile earth, 

 is certainly true ; but it does not follow from that, that it owes its acidity 

 solely to the acid nature of the geine. The ashes of acid soil always con- 

 tain a great quantity of silex. 



NOTE II. — Extension of subject of pages 58 — 61. 



ADDITIONAL PROOP OFFERED, BY THE PRODUCTION AND EXISTENCE OF BLACK WA- 

 TERS, OF THE ACTION OF LIME IN COMBINING VEGETABLE MATTERS WITH SOIL. 



Every person who has seen much of the different parts of lower Virgi- 

 nia, (to go no farther for examples,) must have remarked the dark perma- 

 nent color of the waters of many streams and mill-ponds ; and that others, 

 whether when clear or when turbid, are at all times and entirely without 

 any tinge of this peculiar coloring matter. The waters thus colored by ve- 

 getable matter are more deeply tinted at some times than at others ; but are 

 always strongly thus marked. These waters, when several feet in depth, 

 appear to the eye quite black or very dark brown. The same if viewed in 

 a drinking glass would appear of the color of Sherry wine, and might present 

 some shade between the palest and deepest tints of such wine. This color has 

 nothing of muddiness; for these waters are as clear from suspended clay or 

 mud as any other waters not so colored in the slightest degree. In the county 

 in which nearly all my life has been passed, Prince George, these different 

 kinds of waters are to be seen in stronger contrast, because of their close 

 neighborhood, /ill the streams which flow into Black water river, as well as 

 the main stream, which that name so well describes, from its head to its out- 

 let, are colored deeply, and it is believed without exception. On the contrary, 

 the streams which flow into James river often rise from sources very near to 

 some of the others, the head-springs being on opposite sides of the same 

 dividing ridge of level table land, and in lands precisely alike. Some of 

 these lands are of close and stiff soil, and some more sandy and quite 

 light ; but all are level, poor, and acid lands, and are mostly still under 

 forest growth. 



All persons, whether of the most or the least observant class, would 

 concur in the opinion that this color proceeds from vegetable matter. This 

 is obvious even in the waters of heavy rains, which when more than the 

 level ridge lands can absorb, flow off, and are sometimes for a day or more 

 thus passing in temporary streams to the nearest valley, or other descent. 

 These surplus waters, while yet on the highest woodland, are colored to a 

 greater or less depth of tint ; and just as much in those which take their 

 course towards James river, as the others which flow in the opposite direc- 

 tion to the Blackwater. The difference is that the former soon lose all such 

 coloring matter, and in no case carry it to or even near James river, whilst 

 the other waters increase in depth of color with the length of their course, 

 or the duration of time they remain in the mill-ponds they pass through, or 

 in the sluggish Blackwater river. 



The supply of coloring matter is principally furnished by the dead and 

 fallen leaves in the poor forest land, and is doubtless increased afterwards, 

 both by the partial evaporation of the water, and by its dissolving still 

 more of the soluble vegetable extract in the flat swampy grounds through 

 which the streams flow into the Blackwater. This might indeed satisfactorily 



