GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 35 



Lime, 0.500 



Magnesia, 0100 



Potash, 0.019 



Soda, 0.028 



Phosphoric acid, * * 0.400 



Sulphuric acid, . , 0.180 



Portions of this soil, on being dried in an oven at 300 deg. 

 lost thirty-four per cent, of water. The silex is extrmely fine, 

 and similar in appearance to the Hyde county soils. It is, 

 however, in a greater proportion, and there is less organic 

 matter. But there is no doubt this soil will be productive 

 when drained and put under cultivation. It appears estab- 

 lished from observation and experiment upon the swamp 

 lands of the eastern counties, that much depends on the fine- 

 ness of the earthy matter ; for when there is a perceptible 

 coarseness, the land will not bear cultivation many years. 

 There is in those cases, however, less alumina and iron, and 

 hence this kind of soil dries readily; and in certain seasons 

 crops will be very short, and in reality fail. Where the 

 earthy matter is fine it retains moisture, and furnishes a sup- 

 ply for those seasons when the rains are unseasonable. In 

 certain cases the extreme fineness of the earth would present 

 other defects. It would become too compact and close, and 

 exclude the air. But the vegetable matter counteracts this 

 defect in the swamp lands. 



The gallberry lands often appear rich, if their vegetation 

 did not remind one of their poverty. It will be found, in 

 most cases of the poorest kinds of this class of lands, that the 

 sand may be seen in the mass, or shows through its black 

 covering of vegetable mould. On examination, the sand will 

 be found to be coarse. Under cultivation the vegetable mat- 

 ter disappears rapidly ; it is readily burnt and the surface 

 soon becomes white with the marine sand, and in extreme 

 cases blows into ridges. Lands of this description do not pay 

 the expense incurred in draining. It is sometimes necessary 

 to drain them, in order to effect the drainage of other con- 

 tiguous tracts. 



Neither of the four foregoing soils of Gen. Blount's planta- 



