40 NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



change this semi-barren condition to one of fertility. But it 

 is equally probable that many large tracts of land which are 

 classed among the gallberry lands may be reclaimed and will 

 become fertile by thorough drainage. 



In forming a judgment upon the expediency of draining 

 these flat and wet lands with a view to their cultivation, it is 

 necessary to examine the texture of the materials which com- 

 pose them as well as their composition. As there is a large 

 proportion of black vegetable matter upon the surface, it is im- 

 portant to ascertain if it is intermixed with earth, and if so 

 whether it is coarse or fine, and whether it is mostly sand, whose 

 particles are large or visible at once on inspection. If the 

 earth, after the vegetable matter has been consumed, is fine 

 and impalpable, it is a fact which speaks well of its character ; 

 if on the contrary it is a white and coarsish sand, it is unfavor- 

 able, for it cannot be expected that it holds, in mechanical 

 combination the more essential earths, alumina, lime and 

 magnesia, or the alkalies, potash and soda. If it is sand these 

 important elements will be in combination with the vegetable 

 matter, and when this has become an ash, or is partly con- 

 sumed, the soil will be destitute of the elements of fertility. 

 Observation and experience prove the correctness of the 

 foregoing observations. If, for instance, the soils of Hyde 

 county are examined, the fine impalpable material is always 

 found intermixed with the vegetable matter ; and so, in cases 

 where the sand is found, and soon appears after cultivation, 

 the lands do not wear well but soon give out. 



But the gallberry lands are frequently stiff, whitish clays 

 intermixed with sand. These have undergone very little 

 change from the influence of atmospheric agencies. "When 

 ploughed and exposed for a few years to the atmosphere the 

 color slowly changes to a light brown, and finally to a deeper. 

 These changes are also favorable, and it will be found that 

 these lands improve by cultivation. 



As an example of the better kind of gallberry land, I pro- 

 pose to give the composition of one which occupies a large 

 area in Onslow county, which, on being submitted to analy- 

 sis, gave the following results : 



