266 CALCAREOUS MANURES— APPEJNDIX. 



ever the shells are numerous, vegetation is not so luxuriant as where there 

 is a proper aJmlxture of tlie decomposed or uecu:jipuding shells and vege- 

 table matter. 



" These shells and other decomposing materials appear to have given a 

 peculiar character to the prairie soil, which causes it to adhere so strongly 

 to the legs of horses and to the wheels of carriages as to remain several 

 days in travelling, unless washed or beaten off. Yet, when well broken up. 

 at the proper season, and regularly ploughed, it remains quite mellow, 

 producing corn and cotton equal to the best alluvial bottoms, with, so far as 

 it has been tried, increased fertility; although, from the compact nature of 

 the rock beneath, and the tenacity with which it retains moisture, crops are 

 injured sometimes by rains, but seldom by drought. 



" There being no opening or fissures, except above the rock, by which to 

 convey the water dii'ectly to the channel of creeks and rivers, there are 

 consequently ?io reservoirs to contain supplies for fountains aiid springs. In 

 the winter and spring seasons tlie streams overflow and the land is literally 

 submerged. In the summer and autumn neither springs nor wells are to he 

 found, except below the rock ; yet, notwithstanding this scarcity of water, 

 there is seldom a lack of moisture for the purpose of vegetation. And at 

 times when the drought is such as to produce fissures two or three inches 

 wide, and as many feet deep, the earth will be found quite moist at the depth 

 of two or three inches. 



" There are open prairies of every size, from one hundred to one thousand 

 or twelve hundred acres, mixed and interspersed in every form and mode 

 with timbered land of all kinds ; some producing only black-jack and post 

 oak, not exceeding fifteen or twenty feet in height ; others again covered 

 with the most majestic oak, poplar, elm, hickory, walnut, pacaun, hackberry, 

 grape-vine and cane, equal in size and beauty, I understand, to similar kinds 

 in the Mississippi alluvions. 



" The extent of this country may not be unimportant. I am informed 

 that traces of prairie soil may be seen in Georgia, perhaps as far east as Mil- 

 ledgeville. It is indeed said to exist in North Carolina ; but of this I have 

 not evidence such as to warrant the assertion. That it stretches nearly 

 five hundred miles eastward from the vicinity of the Mississippi on the west 

 almost to Milledgeville, there is no doubt ; and if it extends, as is said to be 

 the fact, to North Carolina, it reaches four hundred or five hundred miles 

 farther, being perhaps nine hundred or one thousand miles long, and from 

 forty to sixty in breadth." 



In addition to the foregoing extracts, several communications to the 

 Farmers' Register, (which are before its readers,) confirm these statements, 

 and (independent of the aid of chemical analysis, which will be referred to 

 hereafter,) show that the prairie soils of Alabama generally are intermixed 

 with calcareous earth, and universally underlaid with that substance in a 

 much more pure form, yet soft enough to be penetrated by roots.* The 

 letter of N. D. Smith, Esq., in the last number gives a like account of the under- 

 lying stratum of the prairies of Arkansas. Such is also the account of Mr. 

 Featherstonhaugh in his geological report of that region— and in addition to 

 the calcareous character of the underlying soft rock, he speaks (though not 

 in very definite terms) of the black rich soil above, as being substantially 

 calcareous."! Another similar fact in a remote locality, has recently been 

 published. A tract of prairie land in the northwest part of Pennsylvania, 



* See Farm. Keg. pp. 276, 277, 367, of vol. i.— and pp. 637, 716, 717, vol. ii, and 

 p. 140, Essay on Calcareoous Manures. 



t See extract from the report at page 147, vol. iii. Farm. Reg. 



