2a6 AGRICULTL'TiAL MUSEUM 



divided earthy, animal, or vegetable matter will remain 

 in a state of mechanical sus})cnsioii for a much loiiuer 

 time; so that by pouriuL^ the vvalcr from the bottom of 

 the vessel, after one, two, or three minutes, the sand 

 will be principally separated fiom the other substances, 

 which, with the water containing them, must be pour- 

 ed into a filter, and a^'ter the water has j)assed through, 

 collected, dried, and weighed. The sand must likewise 

 be weighed, and tiicir respective quantities noted dovA n. 

 The water of lixiviation muu be preserved, as it will 

 be fodnd to contain the saline nutter, and tine soluble 

 animal or vegetable matters, if any exist in the soil. 



Vtll. Examination of the Sand. 



By the process of washing and filtration, the soil is 

 separated into two portions, the most importajit of 

 which is generally the finely divided matter. A minute 

 analysis of the sand is seldom or never necessary, and 

 its nature may be detected in the same manner as that 

 of the stones or gravel. It is always either siliceous 

 sand, or calcareous sand, or a mixture of both. If it 

 cosisist wholly of carbonate of liine, it will be rapidly 

 soluble is muriatic acid, with effervescence ; but if it 

 consist partly of this substance and partly of siliceous 

 matter, tlie rcspcclive quantities may be ascertained 

 by weighing the residuum after the action of the acid, 

 which nuist be applied till the mixtuie has acquired 

 a sour taste, a?id has ceased to effervesce. This re- 

 sidium is the siliceous part: it must be washed, dried- 

 and heated strongly in a crucible ; the difference be- 

 tween the weight of it and the whole, indicates the 

 proportion of calcareous sand, 



[To be continued. 



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