PREFACE. 



THE subjects which are treated of in this Keport, are mostly 

 practical, and it has been my aim so to treat them, that the 

 matter shall be useful. The agricultural part embraces de- 

 scriptions and statements of the composition of many of the 

 soils of the Eastern counties. These samples of soils which 

 have been analyzed, are preserved in the Geological collec- 

 tion for future reference. I have sought to obtain all the 

 practical information respecting them which I could, and for 

 this end, the analyses have been usually carried as far as was 

 necessary. The number of soils which have been thus sub- 

 mitted to analysis, are sufficient, probably, for the purposes 

 intended by the projectors of the survey. I think they em- 

 brace all the classes of soils which exist in this section of the 

 State. But there are, no doubt, many additional analyses, 

 which would be useful where they appear to be special in 

 their composition, and exhibit certain peculiarities. A class 

 of soils of great interest exists in several of the eastern coun- 

 ties, of which a type is well known in the county of Hyde. 

 I felt that it was an object to determine the composition of 

 this class with accuracy, and to see it in place with the bur- 

 then of its crops still standing. In my researches, I have dis- 

 covered that this peculiar soil exists in a greater or less degree 

 of perfection in several other counties. In some instances, 

 the soil is the same, but is less deep ; in others, it is fully 

 equal to the Hyde county or the Mattamuskeet lands, both in 

 depth and rjchness. It seemed to be a prevailing impression 

 that Hyde county soils existed no where else 5 and were con- 



