314 ANALYSES OF SOILS. 



cially when burnt, tlie silex becomes insoluble, and is not fit to be assimilated immediately 

 by the organs of plants. 



We have often spoken of ihe importance of using peat before it is dried, or baked in the 

 sun. When used in a dry state, or mixed in lumps in a soil, it will certainly disappoint 

 the farmer ; but when mixed into a compost with ashes, lime and other refuse matter, it 

 will always be found useful. When used in a proper quantity on wheat lands, the berry 

 will rarely if ever shrink ; and could farmers in all parts of the State secure a supply of 

 marl, peat, lime and ash compost, wheat of the finest quality might be raised equally well 

 in all the districts. 



The composition of the marls of this district is quite uniform. The analysis of one was 

 given while upon the soils of the Wheat district, and which belongs as much to the 

 Southern as it does to the Wheat district. Peat contains from 85 to 92 per cent of organic 

 matter, all of which is capable of being converted into an organic acid, which dissolves 

 the alkaline and earthy bases ; and unless these bases are dissolved, they are useless to 

 plants and animals. It is believed that even silica will yield to the action of the organic 

 acids, a substance which, under ordinary circumstances, is among the most insoluble of 

 bodies. 



Waters of the southern district. 



In no part of the State are waters generally purer than those which form the mountain 

 and valley streams of this district. They possess the same characters, in general, as those 

 which belong to the Highland or Primary district. Local exceptions may be not unfrequent. 

 Even the Genesee river water, at Rochester, contains only 10 '40 grains of foreign matter 

 to the gallon. The principal exception which ought to be made to the above statement, 

 is in respect to those waters which rise out of the Genesee slate. Springs originating here 

 are often ferruginous, and contain organic matter in combination with various bases, and 

 indeed it is quite common for them to contain much sulphuretted hydrogen in combination 

 with organic matter. Taking the whole district, however, into account, the waters may 

 be said to be pure, and fitted for domestic uses. They may be used in steam boilers, 

 without fear of forming incrustations. 



From this fact, namely, the general purity of the waters of the district, we did not deem 

 it necessary to institute a series of analyses as in the preceding districts. We shall now 

 bring our remarks to a close, after giving, in a series of tables, the most important meteoro- 

 logical facts which we have compiled from the Regents' reports. 



