296 ANALYSES OF SOILS. 



ANALYSIS OF ONE HUNDRED GRAINS. 



Water and vegetable matter 12 -25 



Silicates 74 '65 



Carbonate of lime 2-43 



Peroxide of iron and alumina 8 '75 



Magnesia 1-00 



99-08 



The 8"75 grs. of oxide of iron and nlinriina were redissolved in weak muriatic acid, and 

 found to contain 4" 16 of soluble silica. 



The silicates were fused with carl^onate of soda, and were found to contain 



Pure silica 68*64 



Peroxide of iron and alumina 4 '93 ' 



Carbonate of lime 0-88 



Magnesia a large trace. 



In this rich soil a trace of phosphoric acid seemed to exist, but ;t was not certainly detected, 

 though sought for in both precipitates by caustic ammonia. The soluble silica, and car- 

 bonate of lime and magnesia, are present in very large proportions, and probably also the 

 organic acids. 



Some of the eastern soils, those of Hoosic in Rensselaer county, from the farm of Mr. 

 Ball, were submitted to a careful examination for phosphates, with the following results : 



Water 4-60 



Organic matter 6-72 



Silex -. - 74-87 '' 



Carbonate of lime 0-15 



Magnesia 0-12 



Phosphates 0-20 



86-66 



The alumina and iron contained 0"05 of soluble silica. 



A still larger proportion of the phosphates has been obtained from the soils of the Ta- 

 coiiic range, from Peekskill to Bridport in Vermont. As a general result, it may be stated 

 that the phosphates are more abundant in the latter section, in the maize growing district, 

 than in the wheat district, and the soluble silica is in greater proportion in the latter than 

 in the former. The Harmon wheat soil, though it gave, in 400 grains, not a trace of the 

 phosphates in the surface soil or subsoil, yet it gave a large amount of soluble silica. The 

 matters soluble in water, however, the crenates particularly, abounded in the Wheatland 

 soil ; and to the presence of soluble silica, and the soluble organic matters, its excellence 

 as a wheat soil may be attributed. 



