1846.] Agricultural Geology of Onondaga County. 185 



A specimen gave the following composition: 



100.02* 



It probably represents the composition of peat as it usually 

 occurs on the great level between Rome and Syracuse. 



Another source of manure, is in the refuse of the salt works, 

 at Syracuse and Salina. The following is the composition of the 

 pan scale, according to the analysis of Dr. Lewis D. Beck. 



Muriate of lime, - - - 11 



Muriate of magnesia, - - 4 



Carbonate of lime, - - - 60 



Sulphate of lime,- - - 688 



Muriate of soda, - - . 237 



1000 

 Having given the analyses of many of the soils of this coimty, 



• Analyzed by Judge Ball, in the author's laboratory. 



Note. — The method which has been followed in the analysis of limestone, 

 etc., for obtaining the phosphates, has been to dissolve in chorohydric acid two 

 or three hundred grains, and then precipitate the alumina, ironand phosphates 

 with fresh hot lime water. The precipitate, after ignition, is fused with soda, 

 when the mass is dissolved out by water, neutralized carefully with chlorohy. 

 dric acid ; when chloride of calcium is added to precipitate the phosporic acid ; 

 or pure nitric acid and nitrate of silver ; when the phosphoric acid combines 

 with the silver and forms phosphate of silver. Sometimes acetic acid has 

 been employed for the solution of the precipitate by ammonia, but as acetic 

 acid dissolves phosphate of lime, this method for detecting the phosphate -^ 



appears less certain than the former. From numerous failures in searching 

 for phosphates by all these methods, Ave have been led to believe that the 

 phosphates are less common than in the soils of New England, which are 

 derived directly from primary rocks. 



