1846,] Agricultural Geology of Onondaga County. 381 



Geddes, when treated for organic matter, by carbonate of ammo- 

 nia, gave insoluble matter, 5.08 ; soluble, 2.06 [crenic acid). 



The soils of the limestones and shales above the Onondaga 

 limestone are usually brown when dry, those of the gypseous 

 rocks are ash gray or greenish gray. 



The Marcellus shales are less adapted to wheat than the green 

 shales below; though they have body and consistence, and when 

 new contain the elements essential to vegetation; but the soil is not 

 renewed so rapidly. The turf of meadow lands is smooth, green 

 and not liable to crack in dry seasons, and the plowed fields have 

 sufficient looseness for maize and root cultivation, without the 

 tightness of the ordinary clay lands. The composition of several 

 specimens of soil of this variety has been determined. 



Two hundred grains infused for a few days in six ounces of cold 

 water, gave of 



Soluble matter, - _ _ 1.98 grs. 

 Vegetable matter, - - 0.63 



Saline, ----- 1.35 



The saline is composed of the following elements: 



Silex, .03 



Alumine tinged with iron, - .25 



Chlorides of lime and magnesia, .23 



Sulphate of lime, - - - .12 



Crenate and carbonate of lime, - .73 



1.35 



It ought to be stated that usually there is a loss of organic 

 matter during the last part of the process in evaporating the 

 solution, as we have seldom used the water bath, and hence in 

 carrying the evaporation sufficiently far that the whole may be 

 dried, some portions are blackened and lost. There is, therefore, 

 less soluble organic matter in the result than actually exists in the 

 soil. 



Another specimen of uncultivated soil, treated in the same 

 way, gave 



