64 LIME-STONE SOILS. 



hundred and sixty grains yielded not a particle of calcareous earth. 

 It contained an unusually large proportion of oxide of iron, though 

 niy imperfect means enabled me to separate and collect only eight 

 grains, the process evidently wasting several more. 



About a mile lower down, drains were then making (in 1826) to 

 reclaim more of this rich valley from the overflowing waters. 

 Another specimen was taken from the bottom of a ditch just 

 opened, eighteen inches below the surface. It was a black loam, 

 and exhibited to the eye some very diminutive fresh-water spiral 

 shells, about one-tenth of an inch in length, and many of their 

 broken fragments. This gave, from two hundred grains, seventy-four 

 of calcareous earth. But this cannot fairly be placed on the same 

 footing with the other soils, as it had obviously been once the bot- 

 tom of a stream, or lake, and the collection and deposit of so large 

 and unusual a proportion of calcareous matter seemed to be of ani- 

 mal formation. Both these specimens were selected at my request 

 by one of our best farmers, and who also furnished a written 

 description of the soils, and their situation. 



9. Wood-land, west of Union, Monroe county. Soil, a black 

 clay loam, lying on, but not intermixed at the surface with lime- 

 stone rock. Sub-soil, yellowish clay. The rock at this place, a 

 foot below the surface. Principal growth, sugar maple, white wal- 

 nut, and oak. This and the next specimen are from one of the 

 richest tracts of high land that I have seen. 



10. Soil similar to the last, and about two hundred yards distant. 

 Here the lime-stone showed above the surface, and the specimen 

 was taken from between two large masses of fixed rock, and about 

 a foot distant from each. 



11. Black rich soil, from wood-land between the Hot and Warm 

 Springs, in Bath county. The specimen was part of what was in 

 contact with a mass of lime-stone. 



12. Soil from the western foot of the Warm Spring mountain, 

 on a gentle slope between the court-house and the road, and about 

 one hundred and fifty yards from the Warm Bath. Rich brown 

 loam, containing many small pieces of lime-stone, but no finely 

 divided calcareous earth. 



13. A specimen taken two or three hundred yards from the last, 

 and also at the foot of the mountain. Soil, a rich black loam, full 

 of small fragments of lime-stone of different sizes, between that 

 of a nutmeg and small shot. The land had never been broken up 

 for cultivation. One thousand grains contained two hundred and 

 forty grains of small stone or gravel, mostly lime-stone, separated 

 mechanically, and sixty-nine grains of finely divided calcareous 

 earth. 



14. Black loamy clay, from the excellent wheat soil adjoining 

 the town of Bedford, in Pennsylvania ; the specimen taken from 



