THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



166 



100.000 

 Chemical analysis of the brown Tourmalin 

 from the Talcose slate rocks of Orfbrd. 

 100 jrrains of tliis mineral consist of 

 Water, 0.8 



Silica, 33.7 



Alumina, 33.0 



Per oxide of Iron, 11.8 



Oxide of Manganese, 3.4 



Mau:nesia, 6.4 



Lime, 2.9 



Soda, and traces of Lithia, 4.9 



Boracic acid and loss, 3.1 



100.00 

 Chemical analysis of Beryl from Acworth, by 

 M. B. Williams. " 



Silica, 68.35 



Almnina, 17.60 



Glucina, 14.00 



O.X. Iron, and chromic oxide, tra- 

 ce.s and loss, 0.05 



100.00 

 Chemical analysis of the white felspar, or al- 

 bite of Alstead, by J. D. Whitney. 

 100 grains of the mineral yieid 



Silica, 70.84 



Alumina, 21.20 



Soda, and traces of Lime and Iron, 7.96 



100.00 

 Chemical analysis of Marl, from Lyme. 

 100 grains of the dry marl contain 

 Water, 1.1 



Ve.^'etable matter, 2.8 



Insoluble silicates, 79.5 



Per oxide of Iron, 4.3 



Alumina (free) 5.1 



Carbonate of Lime, 7.3 



gain from moisture. 



100.01 

 1 



100.0 

 The vegetable matter consists of the cienic and 

 apocrenic acids with traces of hnmic acid. The 

 amount soluble in carbonate of ammonia in 100 

 grains of the marl, is 1.5 grains. 



The marl of Lyme may be advantageously em- 

 ployed lor the improvement of the sandy soils 

 which occur in the vicinity. 



Chemical analysis of plastic clay from Bath. 

 100 irrainsof the dry cUiy contain 



Water, 1.8 



Vegetable matter, 3.5 



Insoluble silicates, 81.2 



Per oxide of iron, 6.7 



Alumina, 5.0 



Crenate and sulphate of lime, 1.7 



Loss, 0.1 



100.0 

 Graphite or Plumbago mines. 



Plumbago is obtained in numerous places in 

 New Hampshire, but we know of only a few 

 beds of that mineral which are more than 4 feet 

 in width and they are fretjuently of much small- 

 er dimensions. 



Mr. Ileiny D. Pierce of Hillsborough, works 

 the pinniliago mines of Goshen, and sells about 

 20 tons of the ground mineral per 

 ces var,\ iug from 3 to 5 cts per pound 

 for the inanulucture of melting po; 

 by copper founders. 



The Goshen mines are situated on 

 Sunapee Mountain, 1 1-2 miles S. E. from Mr. 

 Troiv's house. The bed is included iiv mica 

 slate and is accompanied by radiated black tour- 

 maline, lis course is N'. E. and S. W. and it 

 dips to the S. E. 74 deg. It is also accompanied 

 by cross veins of a very fine and pure foliated 

 plumbago suilable for pencils. 



In Antrim, near Hillsboiongh, thereisalsoa 

 bed of very pure pUunbago, situate on Campbell's 

 Mountain. The bed is irregnl 

 few inches to. 2 feetand runs i\. 10 deg. E., S. 10 

 deg. W. This locality has not yet been suf- 

 ficiently examined. The quality oi' the plmidiii- 

 go being excellent, it is intended to open the 

 bed to some exteut dming the present 



It is used 

 employed 



the side of 



Sniphuret of Molybdona, a substance bearing 

 a close resenddance in its external characters, to 

 foliated graphite or plmnbago, occurs in the town 

 (If Westinorel.nid on the estate of Mr. Lincoln, 

 ery large veins; also in Franconia an<l Lan- 

 dafF in regular tabular crystals. 



This mineral was examined tor the purpose of 

 ascertaining whether it coidd be used advanta- 

 geously for the fabrication of a pigment or col- 

 oring matter. Its dent-oxide is of a Ijeautiful 

 lue color and it has been supposed to be capa- 

 ble of being used in the arts. Thus far no tavor- 

 ble result has been obtained, but it deserves a 

 further trial. 



The composition of pui'e sulphuret of molyb- 

 denu is in 100 grains, 



Sulphiu-, 40 



Molybdena, 60 



100 Beudanl. 

 Sidphate of barytes is a heavy white cryslalli- 

 zeil mineral bearing some resemblance to calca- 

 reous spar in its color, but it is much heavier. It 

 "i scratched by fluorsparand is fusible before the 

 low pipe into a white enamel. 

 Its specific gravity is 4.7. 



It occurs in veins and nests in the tnicaceous 



s)iecular iron ore of Piermont, on Cross' Hill, 



The composition of pure sulphate of baryta is 



Sulphuric acid, 34.37 



Baryta, 65.63 



100.00 

 It is sometimes used in the adulteration of 

 bite lead, for which its great weight and pure 

 hiteness fits it, but it dimiiushes the body of the 

 liite lead, and also wears out the painter's 

 brushes, so that it is in a tneasure injurious. 



Mr. A. Hayes, of Roxbury, has made a chem- 

 ical analysis" of the arsenical sulphuret of iron 

 and cobalt or Danaite, which is found in Fran- 

 conia, and 1 hoped to have been able to commu- 

 cate his residts in this report, but his absence 

 im home has prevented my obtaining from him 

 s notes. 



The following measurements were made on a 

 crystal, which I gave to Mr. J, E. Teschemacher 

 of Boston, who has kindly furnisheil me vvidi a 

 drawing which is here represented by a wood cut 

 engraving, 



Boston, .ATov. 10, 1840. 

 Dear Sir : — Below 1 beg to hand you the 

 drawing and measurements of the minerals as 

 you requested. Pray make what use of it you 

 please. Ymus sincerelv, 



J. E. TESCHEMACHER. 



Primary form, the right rhombic prism. 



i)/ on .W 68 do., over summit Hi. a on o 121.30. cone 

 100.^5. Planes i i too dull to measure. 



Planes P P are obliterated by modification, c on the 

 acme angle of the right rhombic prism. 



Broiigniart observes thai cobalt, as well as silver, is fre- 

 quently found in small quantities in arsenical pyrites 



ShaUr Village, Oct. 13, 1840. 



Dr. Jackson: — 1 herewith se d you a few spe- 

 cimens of the different soils which principally 

 compose our farm. -My oliject is to gain a prac- 

 tical knowledge of the soils, so as to render the 

 good hetter, and the poor productive. No. 1 con- 

 tains a portion of the large peat bog which you 

 exannned when at our Villagrr. 



No. 2 was taken from our garden — si il nM- 

 urally good, and by cultivation brought to a higl: 

 state of productiveness. 



(Is not this soil (No. 2) too heavy for the peat 

 compost?) 



No. 3 is a very weak soil, rather moist than 

 otherwise, producing only white birch bushes and 

 wdd golden-rod. (S'olidago) and will not retain 

 the manure applied more than one or two years. 



No. 4 'iS the sub-soil of the above, (No. 3.) 



(Would not these two intimately mi.xed form a 

 good soil ?) 



No. 5 was taken from the best natural grass 

 land we have, — probably as good as any in the 

 country. 



No. 6 is the stone I mentioned to you, which I 

 suppose is some combination of iron with some 

 of the earths. 



Thanking you for your liberality in communi- 

 cating your sentiments in regard to soils, ma- 

 nures, &c. and happy to render you all the as- 

 sistance in oin- power. 



I remain, yours truly, 



Wm. tripure. 



During the past winter, a large share of my 

 ime has been devoted to researches into the na- 

 ture of soils, and I intended to publish in this 

 Report a full account of the results to which I 

 had arrived, but the subject requii'es so many de- 

 tails and general considerations, in order to ren- 

 der it fully comprehensible, that it would be im- 

 ])racticable to have the Report ready in season, if 

 II the matter should be printed. Ry advice of 

 the Governor and Council, I have therefore sup- 

 sed a large portion of my remarks, and shall 

 reserve them for the full Report, which will be 

 published hereafter. We shall then be able to 

 give a still more detailed account of the nature 

 and modes of improvement of soils, and hope to 

 obtain much valuable statistical information con- 

 cerning the agriculture of the Slate. 



I have inserted the general results of the prox- 

 imate analyses, in order to exhibit the proportions 

 of earthy, saline and vegetable matters in the 

 soils which have been analyzed. In my next 

 Report, I shall give a full account of the precise 

 nature of the organic matters which have been 

 detected in soils of various grades of fertility. I 

 may here state that we have discovered the fol- 

 lowing ingredients in the organic matter of all 

 the soils which have been analyzed, and that they 

 vary in proportions indifferent soils and at dif- 

 ferent seasons of the year, so that the utmost de- 

 tail will be reqinred hereafter in the exposition 

 of their relations to each other, and to the min- 

 eral ingredients. 



The soluble organic ingredients found in all 

 fertile soils, according to the researches of Ber- 

 z( lius, Hermann, and those which I have made 

 during the past three years, are 



Crenic acid, 



Apocrenic ucid, 



Hifmic acid, 



Humin, and 



Extract of Humus. 



These matters are generally combined with 

 the bases Lime, Magnesia, Soda or Potash, Am- 

 monia, Manganese, Per-oxide of iron and Alumi- 

 na, forming extremely complex combinations, 

 which reqinre the exertion of the utmost skill of 

 the chemist for their separation. 



As a general result. I would also state that the 

 cienic and humic acids, compined with lime and 

 ammonia, exist in the sub-soils ; hence we may 

 account, in a measm-e, for the advantages arising 

 ft-om deep and siib-soil ploughing, which bring 

 these valuable soluble ingredVento within the 

 reach of plants. 



In several bog and pond waters I have also 

 found the apocrenate and hmiiate of aiwiionia, 

 in considerable quantities, and I have no doubt 

 that the differences observed in the relative val- 

 ue of waters for irrigation depends upon the pres- 

 ence or absence of lliese soluble matters. 



When we form compost manui-es, we should 

 endeavor to produce those usefid substances 

 which may be deficient in the natural soil, and to 

 replace tho.se which are exhausted by the repeat- 

 ed removal of crops, or by infiltration and de- 

 composition. It beitomes us, therefore, to ascer- 

 tain most minutely the chemical nalui-e of soils, 

 and to study attentively the eflfects of compost 

 manures. This sidiject is yet in its infancy, and 

 requires the aid of the most careful and scientific 

 researches for its full elucidation. 



We can from experimental trials and from long 

 and repealed observations, give some useful di- 

 rections as to the pieparation of compost ma- 

 nures. The following results may theiefore be 

 found of advantage to the farmer. Vegetable 

 matters, on decomposition, produce a brown sub- 

 stance, which has acid jiroperties, and which is 

 but slightly solubia in piir» water. 



