PKEFACE. 



The preparation of this volume has occupied two years. To some, this 

 may appear more than sufficient to have accomplished what is here re- 

 corded. Whatever view may be taken of it, I believe I am justified in 

 saying that I know not how it would have been possible to have increased 

 very materially the amount of labor in the time specified above. The law, 

 whether right or wrong, required its completion on the first day of October 

 last. The work would have been improved, and more valuable, had it 

 been possible to have given more time to some subjects ; inasmuch as the 

 disproportion of labor would have been diminished, and each subject have 

 received its due examination. But this, I repeat, has been impossible, 

 notwithstanding the fact that I have employed an assistant for the whole 

 period, and have continued the work about four months beyond the time 

 specified in the act authorizing the continuance of the Survey. 



Mr. J. H. Salisbury, who commenced the study of analytic chemistry 

 three years since in my laboratory, and whose services were noticed in my 

 last volume, has continued them, and his work is distinguished by the 

 initial of his name. He has also kept for me the observations on tempera- 

 ture, as recorded in the appendix, for this place. L. C. Ball, esquire, of 

 Hoosic-falls, has also contributed observations and analyses for this volume. 

 Mr. C. B. Salisbury, of Scott, Cortland county, is deserving of the thanks 

 of the community for his observations on the temperature of the soil of that 

 place, which is supposed to be elevated about 1200 feet above tide at 

 Albany. 



It will be observed, that in some of the analyses of the ash of wood, the 

 footing is too great. This arises from calculating an amount of carbonic 

 acid sufficient to saturate the lime. There are cases where the carbonic 



