68 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



A.NALYSIS OF SOILS. 

 In our paper, vol. ii, p. 22, we intimated an in- 

 tention to give the dilferent modes of analysing soils, 

 recommended by writers on husbandry, and now pro- 

 ceed to fulfil our prjimise. We would premise, how- 

 ever, that there is a process for this purpose, reeom- 

 mended by Sir Humphrey Davy, in his Lectures on Ag- 

 ricultural Chemistry, which is probably more accurate, 

 but much more complicated than either of the modes 

 which we here place before our readers. Sir Humphrey 

 Davy's method requires a knowledge of chemistry 

 which very few practical farmers have attained, and re- 

 quires instruments of analysis which not many of our 

 readers would be able or willing to procure. Besides, 

 those gentlemen who have a wish to make use of his 

 proceses haVe, generally, it is to be presumed, his trea- 

 tise in possession. We therefore give a description of 

 other processes, which are more simple, and we believe 



'Sufficiently accurate for all the common purposes of 

 husbandry. 



In the field to be examined, take earth a 

 little below the surface, from four separate 

 piaces, about 1-4 \h. avoirdupois frnra each. 

 Expose it to the sun, or before the fire, till it is 

 completely dry ; and turn it over frequently 

 that it may be well mixed togedior. From the 

 lieap take exactly four ounces, and pass this 

 throug^h a fine sieve, ivhich will allow all the 

 particles of sand and gravel (o escape, but which 

 will hold back stones, small (il)rous roots, and 

 decayed wood. Weigh the two parts separate-! 

 ly, and take a note of each. The stones and 

 other bulky materials are then to be examined | 

 apart from the roots and wood. If they are ' 

 hard and rough to the touch, and scratch glass 

 easily, they are silicious or llinly ; if they are, 

 without much difliculty broken to pieces by the 

 fingers, and can be scraped by a knife to powder, 

 they are aluminous or clayey ; or if, when jiut 

 in a wine glass and common vinegar poured 

 upon them, small air bubbles ascend (o the top 

 of the liquid, they are calcarious. The finely 

 divided matter, which ran through the sieve, 

 must next undergo the test of experiment. Af- 

 ter being weighed, agitate the whole in water, 

 till the earth be taken up from the bottom and 

 mechanically suspended, adding water till this 

 effect be jiroduced. Allow the mass then to 

 settle for two or three minutes ; and in that 

 time the sandy particles shall have all sunk to 

 the bottom. Pour off the water, which will then 

 contain the clay in suspension, and the insoluble 

 earth arising from animal and vegetable decom- 

 jiosition. The sand should first be attended to, 

 and if from inspection it be thought either sili- 

 cious or calcarious in its nature, the requisite 

 tests niiiy be instantly applied. — By this time 

 the mixture will have dcjiosited at the bottom 

 of the vessel the clay, ;md other earths, with 

 the insoluble minimal and vegetable matter. .Af- 

 ter pouring off the water, dry the sediment, 

 and aiqdy a strong heat by placing it on the 

 bottom of a pot ignited to redness, and the ani- 

 mal and vegetable matter will burn and fly otf 

 in aeriform products. The remainder lying in 

 the bottom will be found to consist of clav, mag- 

 nesia, or lime. To obtain accuracy, another 1-4 

 Jb. of earth should bo taken from the same 

 heap, and (he whole process gone over a sec- 

 ond, a third, or even a fourth lime, that the op-' 

 erator may rectify any blunders he had previ- 

 ously committed, and be satisfied as to the re- 



-sults of his experiment, lie should provide- 



himself with a pair of fine scales and a set of 

 weights divided at least into ounces and drachms. 

 Although vinegar will detect l.mo by elTerves- 

 ccnce, it does not dissolve it so effectually as 

 the nitric or muriatic acid ; small quantities of 

 which may be procured from the druggists at 

 no great expense. — Letters of Jlgricola. 



Process for analysing soils, given in Memoirs of 

 the J\I'c-lV York Board of Agriculture, vol. i, p. 

 7, of the Appendix. 



1st. A quantity of the soil, includin? gravelly 

 pelibles of the smallest kind, was pulverised in 

 Wedge wood's mortar. 



1A. Parcels of tvvo hundred grains each, were 

 separately weighed : three of tliem, if it was in- 

 tended to ascertain the proportion of iron ; two, 

 if not. 



3. One of the parcels was put into a crucible 

 and heated gradually, constantly stiriug it with 

 a dry pine stick, until the stick become a little 

 brownish from the heat, on pressing it against 

 the bottom of the crucible. 



4th. The above was then carefully poured 

 into the scales and again weighed. What was 

 deficient of the 200 grains, was set down as 

 Xi:ater. 



5th. The parcel was then returned into the 

 crucible, and heated to a high red heat. It 

 was frequently stirred with a glass rod, and the 

 heat was continued until the mass presented no 

 shining particles. After allowing it to cool a 

 little, it was returned into the scales again, and 

 what it wanted ot its last weight af'er being 

 dried, was set down ibr the (nu'ma/ and vcs^ctahle 

 matter. Part of this is nndoubtediv water, but 

 probably it is not more than should always be 

 considered as attached to this part. It may here 

 be added, that there will be no blackness in the 

 appearance of the soil, if it is sufficiently heat- 

 ed. 



6th. Let it now be poured in an assay glass, 

 and add half a pint of pure water to it. After 

 repeated stirring for ten minutes, let it stand 

 for about three minutes, to allow the silicious 

 matter to settle. Then pour off all which 

 stands over the silicious part into another glass, j 

 Dry this sediment in a high red heat, weigh it, 

 and set it down for the silex. 



7lh. Let the part which was transferred to 

 another glass, stand until it settles, leaving the 

 liquid part clear. Pour oiT the liquid into an- 

 other glass, dry this sediment with a high red 

 heat, weigh it, and set it down for the alumina 

 ous part. 



8th. The remaining liquid was then evapo- 

 rated in a glass evaporating dish. The solid 

 residuum wus scraped ofi", and weighed for the 

 solutle salts. 



V.lU. The other parcel of two hundred grains 

 was put into a Florence flask, in which half a 

 gill of equal portions of muriatic acid and wa- 

 ter had previously been poured, and which had 

 also been balanced by weights in the scale. Af- 

 ter allowing it to stand about three hours, it was 

 ascertained how much less than 20U grains was 

 to be added to the weight, in order to balance 

 the llask. This was considered as the weight 

 of the carbonic acid that had been expelled. 

 Then by the table of component parts, as 15 is 

 to 35, so is this weight to the weight of the 

 base. The carbonate of lime in the soil was 

 thus ascertained. The lime, however, must 

 DOW be subtracted from the silex, atid llje 



weight of the carbonic acid must be dedu<|ili 

 t'rom the animal and vegetable matter ; si 

 Ihe heat that burnt out the animal and veget-.^i 

 matter, also expelled the carbonic acid, and 

 the lime with the silex. 



We are aware that part of the quick-l! 

 may remain with the soluble salts, and pari 

 Ihe carbonic acid may still remain with its b 

 and the silex. The error, however, will bi » 

 no consequence in agriculture.* 



Particular attention was paid to the time' 

 quired for the alumine to settle. It was ' 

 served, that in soils which are adhesive, and 

 tain water a length of time, the time necei 

 ry for the alumine to settle, was in the sii 

 proportion. It was also found to be a muchl n 

 ter criterion for determining the measui4rt 

 this quality, than the actual proportion of ) 

 mine. 



Though the above method of analysis is 

 sufficiently minute for the speculative chemi 

 yet it does not differ materially even from 

 most accurate method. Similar portions of srfil 

 •taken from the river alluvion of William 8) 

 Esq. of Hethlehem, were analysed accordingi 

 that of Sir Humphrey Davy, given in Hetil 

 Chemistry. The results ivere as follow 

 By the preceding formula. 



Siltx per cent 



Alumine, 



Carbonate of lime, 



Soluble salts, 



Animal and vegetable matteV, 



Water, 



By Davy's Method. 



Silex 



Alumine, 



C'nrbonato of lime, 



Oxyd of iron, 



Miniate of lime, 



Sulphate of magnesia, 



Animal and vegetable matter, . . . 



\Vater, 



Loss, 



AMOS EATOIsr, 



T. ROMEYN BECK, 



The following mode of analysing soils is fn 



•' Treatise on Agriculture,'''' first publisher 



the Albany Argus. 



" 1st. Take a small quantity of earth fit 

 different parts of the field, the soil of whi 

 you wish to ascertain, mix them well togetll 

 and weigh them ; put them in an oven, heal 

 for baking bread, and after they are dri< 

 weigh them again, the difference, will show t 

 absorbent poxzer of the earth. When the los*, 

 weight in 400 grains, amounts to 50, this poi 

 is great, and indicates the presence of much,! 

 imal or vegetable matter ; but when it ' 

 not exceed twenty, the absorbent povve] 

 small, and the vegetable matter deficient.! 



2d. Put the dried mass into a vase with 

 fourth of its own weight of clear water; 

 them well together ; pour off the dirty wi 

 into a second vase and pour on as much c\ 



* It may, perhaps, be satisfactory to state, that] 

 above formula was mentioned to I'rofessor M'i\ere| 

 New York, who is now engaged in a very minute 

 ysis of soils in that vicinity ; and that he gave 

 his opinion, that the above method of analysis 

 the best adapted to the purpose fo;: which tbt iu« 

 gations were made. 



t Se^ Davy's ek»E»ts. 



