1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



89 



Experiment No. 2. 



All the acid solutions ami washings obtained in 

 the Ibreijoinfif experinienis, were n)ixed together 

 and saturated with pure ammonia. A vohiminous 

 brown precipitate ensued, and alter it iiad been se- 

 parated by the filter and well wasiied, was boiled 

 in a silver vessel with 500 grains ol' pure potash 

 dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water, and 

 afier wards evaj)oratL*d to dryness, and exposed to 

 a gentle red heat lor half an hour, and then again 

 boiled with water repeatedly in order to dissolve 

 the alkaline mass; then filtered; the brown insolu- 

 ble residue on the filter being well washed in hot 

 water and dried, weighed 135 grains, and proved 

 to consist solely of oxyd of iron. 



Experiment No. 3. 



The neutral ammoniacal solution of No. 2, 

 which remained aller having separated the preci- 

 pitate, was further examined, in order to detect 

 lime, if any existed : a sufficient quantity of oxa- 

 late of ammonia was added and strongly agitated, 

 and exposed to heat lor half an hour; no precipi- 

 tate was formed, even alter repeated agitation, and 

 twelve hours repose; the same result followed af- 

 ter adding phosphate of ammonia: consequently, 

 lime ibrmed no part of the mineral. 



Experiment, No. 4. 



The clear alkaline solution obtained in experi- 

 ment No. 2, after the separation of the oxyd of 

 iron, was accurately neutralized by pure muriatic 

 acid: a white gelatinous precipitate was formed, 

 which, after separation by the filter, and beinir 

 well washed and dried, weighed 52^ grains, and 

 proved to be pure alumine. 



Experiment, No. 5. 



To the remaining solution of experiment No. 3, 

 after having tested it for lime, a suilicient quantity 

 of pure potash was added, and the whole evapo- 

 rated to dryness, by which process the ammonia 

 was completely expelled. The remaining saline 

 mass was re-dissolved in water, and appeared per- 

 fectly transparent; no trace of an insoluble sub- 

 stance could be discerned, even after twelve hours 

 repose: — it consequendy contained no magnesia. 



Conclusion. 



These experiments exhibit the following consti- 

 tuent parts of this non-fertilizing marl, viz: 



Experiment No. 1, 277.50 Silex 



2, 135. Oxyd of Iron. 



4, 55.50 Alumine. 



31. Water. 



Loss, 



499 

 1 



500 



Besides the Ibssil reliquice above named, we 

 may further add Ammonites, Rostellaria, Turbi- 

 nolia, Area, Pyrula, Pecten, Donax, and numer- 

 ous others, together with the bones or teeth of ce- 

 tacea, sharks, crocodiles, turtles, mosasaurus, &c., 

 lignite, amber, phytolithites, roots of trees encrust- 

 ed with pyrites, &c. 



Vci.lV-12 



This very extensive formation, of which we are 

 now treating, lines the coast for several hundreds 

 of miles, commencing at the northern extremity 

 of Ijong Island, and extending as far as the Gulf 

 of Mexico; and borders immediately the primitive 

 rocks on its northern and eastern limits. 



DIFFERENCE OF THE GROWTH, CULTURE, AKI) 

 PROnUCT OF GRAPE VIIVES, IN THE UNITED 

 STATES, A.vr> IN EUROPE. OSAGE ORANGE. 



Letter I. 



To tlie Editor of llie Fanners' Rcgislcr. 



Columbia, S. C, Jpril 29ik, 1836. 



If you tlfmk the following is sufTiciently inter- 

 esting lo fill a page of your excellent periodical, 

 have the goodness to honor it by giving it room. 



The comparing of the various objects of agri- 

 culture in diflerent countries may lead to reflection 

 and elicit improvements in the culture and mode of 

 management. I was led to think on this subject 

 by reading a very good book — "Journal of a recent 

 visit to the principal vineyards ofSpain and France 

 &c., by James Busby, Esq." — This gentleman 

 has visited those countries like a man of sense, 

 and his observations are usually correct, as his de- 

 scriptions of men and things are worthy of the ut- 

 most confidence. He has visited countries and 

 persons which I knew well, and it gave me great 

 pleasure to see him mention so truly, gentlemen 

 who deserve all the praise he justly bestows on 

 them. It also gives me irreat pleasure to have 

 this opportunity to notice here in support of Mr. 

 Busby's high character of Mr. Delisle, Professor 

 of Botany, and Director of the Jardin des Plantcs 

 at Montpelier. This gentleman's urbanity and li- 

 berality to strangers are above all jjraise, and I 

 have experienced both. Mr. Busby notices the 

 very small size of the vines in Burgundy, Cham- 

 pagne, and elsewhere, and their being planted, 

 frequently as near as from 15 to 20 inches apartj 

 and ev^en closer in some instances. This I knew 

 perfectly well; but it nevertheless seems very 

 strange when compared with the growth and large 

 size of our vines in this country, even in very poor 

 sandy soil. To show this more satisfactorily, I 

 shall here give a rough description of the vines in 

 my garden. My grape-vines, which I use chiefly 

 lor wine, cover one sixth part of an acre. They 

 are 45 in number, viz. 37 of my Madeira, 6 of the 

 Lenoir, and 2 of the Bland, all made into wine 

 separately. They are trained so as to cover the 

 flat top of a trellis 8 feet from the ground, and they 

 very fully cover it, none of the foliage or fruit be- 

 ing allowed to grow below the top of the trame. 

 The olc'est of these vines were planted as cuttmgs 

 27 years ago, and some of them are very large. 

 The largest of them covers almost entirely a space 

 of 48 feet by 30 feet. Just above the ground it di- 

 vides into 5 branches of the fJiIlowing respective di- 

 mensions in circuailerence: 11 inches, 8^, 8, 7-^- and 

 1), inches. ■ This is of the kind known as Herbe- 

 iiiont's Madeira, and is, most undoubtedly, an 

 European vine. It is, by some persons in Charles- 

 Ion, called Burgundy grape, and is one of the 

 principal vines cultivated in the French province 

 of this name, as also in Champagne, &c. I think 

 it is there called Pineau or Morillon, and is tlie 



