NOKTH-CAEOLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. - 



Silex, 82.300 



Peroxide of iron and alumina, 8.700 



Lime, 0.020 



Magnesia, 0.010 



Phosphoric acid, 0.150 



Organic matter, . . ., 3.350 



Potash and soda, traces, 



Soluble Silica, 0.100 



Water, 6.000 



The color of this soil is a light yellow, and its texture rather 

 fine, and is disposed to be lumpy. Its*texture and composi- 

 tion favor the growth of wheat rather than corn, and I have 

 no doubt when reclaimed by drainage will prove an excellent 

 soil for the cultivation of this grain. 



24. The swamp lands of Brunswick and New Hanover, 

 and the adjoining counties, resemble in many respects those of 

 Hyde and Onslow. In order to determine as far as possible 

 from analysis the expediency of draining a certain tract or a 

 portion of it lying in Brunswick county, which is known as 

 the Green swamp, Mr. McNeil * furnished me with a few 

 samples of muck which were obtained as it appeared from 

 beneath the water. It was similar to black mud, but on dry- 

 ing I found it contained partially decayed pieces of bark, 

 wood and roots, though its structure did not appear to be 

 fibrous. 



On drying in the paper in which it was orginally wrapped, 

 it became rather hard and firm, showing that it contained 

 earth, for if made up of peaty matter destitute of earth, it 

 would have been much less firm and compact. 



On submitting this material to analysis, I found it was 

 composed of the following elements : 



*JACK FOREST, 24th November, 1857. 



DEAR SIR : I send you four packages of soil from our swamp lands : one from the 

 heavy timbered land on the Brunswick marsh; one from the low lands of the Brown 

 marsh, and lands requiring ditching; one from the original Green swamps, but now 

 timbered with young growth, and one from a ditch draining the land near the dwainp, 

 which I suppose contains lime. 



Yours truly, 



H. J. McNEIL. 



