CALCAREOUS MANURES— APPENDIX. 275 



savannas, or open prairies, which are very level and rich. This specimen 

 was taken from one of them. It is covered with a very heavy crass coat, 

 very much resembling the gama grass: and some of it I know is of (hat 

 species. It is at first very difficult to eradicate; but when this is once effect- 

 ed, the soil is as easily ploughed as other prairie soils, and produces corn 

 very finely ; say from 50 to 60 bushels to the acre. Cotton however is pre- 

 disposed to rust at first, and probably will be more so after the undecom- 

 posed vegetable matter existing in the primitive soil becomes exhausted. Im- 

 mediately on the outskirts of the hickory hammocks, where they join the 

 open prairie, the cotton is much more disposed to rust, even the first year, 

 and it is from such a locality that it was selected." 



No. 12. "This soil is very loose and friable, and it is generally in such land 

 that I have observed the cotton to rust most. It grows off at first more 

 luxuriantly than in other places, but as the heat of summer comes on, begins 

 to look scorched, sheds its shapes, then the bolls, and leaves, until nothing is 

 left but the dead stalks. These two specimens, Nos. 11 and 12, do not 

 effervesce perceptibly with diluted sulphuric acid, but I presume you will find 

 them strongly impregnated with lime. There is a considerable tract of 

 country of this kind of soil in Mississippi, and the lime-stone rock frequently 

 shows itself near the surface. Detached masses of sand-stone are also fre- 

 quently seen about the hill-sides and hickory hammocks." 



Neither of the last two specimens (Nos. II, 12,) contained any carbonate 

 of lime. The descriptions have been quoted at length, because the facts are 

 among those that most oppose my argument. A similar deficiency of calca- 

 reous earth was found in the four next specimens, which were sent by Capt. 

 John Symington, U. S. A., of St. Louis. 



No. 13. From a small prairie in the neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. 

 Fertile, but not equal to the best prairie soils. " This is high and rolling, and 

 consequently dry— and never subject to inundation. Specimen taken about 

 4 inches below the surface, and just below the fibrous grass roots." 



No. 14. "From the surface of a ridge of rolling prairie, in Macoupin 

 county, Illinois— high and dry, and never subject to inundation." 



No. 15. "From Macoupin county, Illinois. Also high prairie, and never 

 subject to inundation, but quite level, and therefore the rain water does not 

 flow off rapidly enough. Still it cannot be called a wet soil. It is consi- 

 dered rich, and produces well grain of all kinds. Taken 2 feet below the 

 surface." 



No. 16. Sent by George Churchill, Esq. Sample of the soil of the 

 "Ridge Prairie," Madison, Illinois — "taken from 4 inches below the surface, 

 where it has never been ploughed, and three-quarters of a mile from the 

 nearest wood-land. Surface dry and rolling." 



Neither of the four last specimens contained a particle of carbonate of 

 lime. All were very black (therefore supposed full of vegetable matter) and 

 contained but a very small proportion of finely divided silicious earth. For 

 any practical and useful purpose, this essential ingredient might almost be 

 said to be entirely wanting. 



No. 17, Prairie soil from Madison county, Ohio — contained no carbo- 

 nate of lime. 



No. 18. Prairie soil from Pickaway county, Ohio, contained a very 

 small portion only of carbonate of lime. The amount was not ascertained 

 precisely. 



The three next, selected and sent by Jas, Deas, Esq., w^ere all taken from 

 different depths below the same field of " unwooded prairie," in Lowndes 

 county, Alabama, The surface soil black. 



No. 19. Taken 4^ feet below the surface, where very fertile — stiff clay 



