276 CALCAREOUS MANURES— APPENDIX. 



of dark olive color when dry, and pounded for trial— very little silicious 

 earth, and that very finely divided. Contained 1 1 per cent, of carbonate of 

 lime. 



No. 20. "At I^ feet below the surface, where the soil is rather thin" 

 [or poor]— nearly white— contained 84 per cent, of carbonate of lime. 



No. 21. At 3 feet below the surface of another place, "a'so rather thin 

 soil." Color darker than the preceding. Carbonate of lime, 27 per cent. 



No. 22. Of the celebrated fertile alluvial snil of Red River, Arkansas, a 

 specimen of 300 grains contained 12 grains of earthy carbonates, of which 

 rather more than one third was found to be carbonate of magnes^.a—ihe re- 

 mainder carbonate of lime. So far a? I am informed, this is the first known 

 fact of magnesia being found in a notable proportion in any soil in this 

 country. It is hoped that this peculiarity of the Red River land will receive 

 further investigation. The presence of magnesia was indicated by the very 

 slow eflTervescence of the soil in acid. The separation of the two carbo- 

 nates was made according to Davy's method, (directed in his "Agricultural 

 Chemistry,") which, however, is not very accurate. 



The results of analyses of prairie soils (and some which, though so called, 

 are covered v^ith trees,) made by Urs. Cooper, Nott, and Gibbes, will now 

 be adduced. See the more full report, Farmers' Register, p. 716, vol. ii. 



No. 23. Bald prairie on Big Swamp, Lov/ndes, Alabama. Plantation of 

 Col. James Deas. Carbonate of lime 25 per cent. 



No. 24. Slue prairie— same plantation— 15 per cent. 



No. 25. From plantation of Messrs. Elmore and Taylor, on Pintlala creek, 

 Montgomery, Alabama— open prairie— taken 6 inches below the surface. 

 Carbonate of lime 38 per cent. 



No. 26. From same spot, taken 18 inches below the surface. Carbonate 

 of lime 48 per cent. 



The balance were very late examinations of Alabama soils made by Dr. 

 R. W. Gibbes, July 1835, and published in the Farmers' Register, vol. vi. 



No. 27. Slue prairie, (Col. Ehnore's plantation) — 6 or 8 inches below the 

 surface— Carbonate of lime 26 per cent. 



No. 28. Hammock prairie, carbonate of lime 22 per cent. 



No. 29. Open prairie, mahogany colored, no limestone, and vegetable 

 matter as much as 38 per cent. 



No. 30. Hog-bed prairie, carbonate of lime 8. 



No. 31. Post oak prairie, no limestone, and vegetable matter 38 per cent. 

 [From the name, it is presumed that this is such wooded land as No. 5, and 

 therefore improperly called prairie land.] 



No. 32. Black slue prairie, (Moulton plantation of Dr. J. H. Taylor.) 

 Carlionate of lime 12 per cent. 



No. 33. Prairie, (scattering large post oak.) mingled with red clay. Car- 

 bonate of lime 6 per cent.— and vegetable matter 32. 



No. 34. Open prairie— from a hill or ridge, 18 per cent. 



No. 35. White open prairie, (Chisolm's)- from near surface— soil not more 

 than 18 inches deep. Carbonate of lime 42 per cent. Vegetable matter 28. 



Formation of prairies, ^c. accounted for, and apparent exceptions to the rule 



explained. 



My views of the manner in which prairies are formed will now be sub- 

 mitted. 



There are some few trees, as wild or black locust, papaw, and hackber- 

 ry, which thrive best on soil moderately calcareous, and will scarcely live 

 in soils very deficient in lime. But most forest trees prefer soils having so 



