52 CONCURBINa AMERICAN AUTHORITIES. 



necessary to exhibit them would show what had not been said, 

 rather than what had and that they did not assert the absence of 

 calcareous earth, instead of directly asserting its universal presence. 

 Extracts for this purpose, however satisfactory, would necessarily 

 l)e too voluminous, and it is well that they can be dispensed with. 

 Better proof, because it is direct, and more concise, will be furnished 

 by quoting the opinions of a few agriculturists of our own country, 

 who were extensively acquainted with European authors, and have 

 evidently drawn their opinions from those sources. These quota- 

 tions will not only show conclusively that their authors consider 

 the received European doctrine to be that all soils are more or less 

 calcareous but also, that they apply the same general character to 

 the soils of the United States, without expressing a doubt or naming 

 an exception. These writers, as all who have heretofore written 

 of soils in this country, havejittered but the echoes of preceding 

 English general descriptions of soils. They seem not to have sus- 

 pected that any very important difference existed in this respect 

 between the soils of England and of this country ; and certainly not 

 one had made the slightest investigation by any attempt at chemical 

 analysis, to sustain the false character thus given to our soils. 



1. From a "Treatise on Agriculture" (ascribed to General 

 Armstrong), published in the American Farmer. [Vol. i. page 

 153.] 



"Of six or eight substances, which chemists have denominated earths, 

 four are widely and abundantly diffused, and form the crust of our globe. 

 These are silica, alumina, lime, and magnesia." "In a pure or isolated 

 state, these earths are wholly unproductive ; but when decomposed and 

 mixed, and to this mixture is added the residuum of dead animal or vege- 

 table matter, they become fertile, and take the general name of soils, and 

 are again denominated after the earth that most abounds in their composi- 

 tion respectively." 



2. Address of R. H. Rose to the Agricultural Society of Susque- 

 hanna. \_Arn. Far. Vol. ii. p. 101.] 



" Geologists suppose our earth to have been masses of rock of various 

 kinds, but principally silicious, aluminous, calcareous, and 'magnesian 

 from the gradual attrition, decay, and mixture of which, together with an 

 addition of vegetable and animal matter, is formed the soil ; and this is 

 called sandy, clayey, calcareous, or magnesian, according as the particular 

 primitive material preponderates in its formation." 



3. Address of Robert Smith to the Maryland Agricultural So- 

 ciety. [Am. Far. Vol. iii. p. 228.] 



" The soils of our country are in general clay, sand, gravel, clayey 



loam, sandy loam, and gravelly loam. Clay, sand, and gravel, need no 

 description, &c." "Clayey loam is a compound soil, consisting of clay 

 and sand or gravel, with a mixture of calcareous matter, and in which clay 

 is predominant. Sandy or gravelly loam is a compound soil, consisting of 

 sand or gravel and clay with a mixture of calcareous matter, and in which 

 sand or gravel is predominant." 



