1847.] Mgn'cuUnre of mw York. 133 



tinguish it from the others. These districts are designed for New 

 York only, and it is by no means attempted to furnish therefrom a 

 classification of soils for other parts of the country. There are 

 reasons for not attempting a classification of soils now. The wheat 

 soils of New York ditfer from those of the western states. The 

 same remark too may be made of the maize soils. The wheat 

 soils in particular, stands by itself It is based essentially upon 

 the slate and shales of the Clinton, Niagara and Onondaga salt 

 groups, or rather we should say upon red and plaster shales, the 

 best of which furnish a stiffi-ih chocolate-colored clay. These 

 clays form a durable foundation, and are probably more lasting 

 and sustain cropping longer than any other wheat soils in the 

 Union. Besides it is well known that the quality of the wheat 

 is remarkably fine, and bears the highest price in market. 



The analysis of soils has been made with reference to these dis- 

 tricts. Reasons were not wanting for the adoption of this course. 

 It was found that in the first place the physical properties of the 

 soils of these sections differed, and in the second place, that the 

 chemical characters or composition differed from each other suf- 

 ficiently to warrant the arrangement. The difference in composi- 

 tion however, is not equally great for all the districts. The two 

 ■which stand strongly in contrast are the Taconic and wheat dis- 

 tricts, the former being rather famous for the production of Indian 

 corn, the latter for wheat. It is evident too, that the system of 

 husbandry varies considerably in the two districts, even when 

 their relations to a market is considered. 



When the agricultural survey was commenced, it was a seiious 

 question for determination, whether it was ex})edient to analyze 

 soils at all. The discussion of this question turned mainly upon 

 the fact that large tracts existed which were covered with a ho- 

 mogeneous soil, whose origin could be determined upon a com- 

 paratively few analyses, in at least so far as the existence of some 

 of the most important elements were concerned, as lime, magne- 

 sia, the phosphates, free silica and alumina. These facts were of 

 sufficient importance it was thought, to take up the work of analy- 

 sis, and it is now thought, that the determination was well taken, 

 since it was found that in many parts of each of the districts lime 

 is wanting, and that there is a deficiency of other important ele- 

 ments in districts which have long been under culture. We are 

 fully aware, however, that much more remains to be done in the 

 same field, and we believe that the progress of agriculture in New 

 York depends much upon the prosecution of the subject in the 

 same line of research. To effect safe generalizations it will re- 

 quire extended details. If chemistry is to do as much for agricul- 

 ture as some predict it will, it is certain that the soils must be 

 thoroughly analyzed. Indeed we may go farther, and say that 



