358 SUMMARY. 



XIV. SUMMARY OF THE LEADING FACTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ASCERTAINED 

 RESPECTING THE SOILS OF NEW-YORK. 



1. The soils of New- York are often modified by the rock upon wliich they rest. Their 

 composifion, however, always differs from the rock, even when it is apparent that they 

 v/ere derived directly from the strata upon which they repose, or are in immediate con- 

 tact. The differences are found to consist principally in the presence of those matters 

 which are soluble by water when aided by carbonic acid, as carbonate of lime and 

 magnesia. The soluble organic matters exist in a proportion greater in the soils than in 

 the rocks ; though all sedimentary rocks contain soluble organic matters, especially the 

 decomposable shales and slates. The hard limestones exert but little effect or influence 

 upon the composition of the soils : the most important office which they perform is me- 

 chanical, and the soil upon them is usually drier than upon the compact sandstones and 

 shales. 



2. The composition of the soils of the Eastern or Taconic district differs from that of 

 Central and Western New-York, or those which belong to the Wheat district. The first 

 contain a greater amount of the phosphates of lime, alumina, iron and magnesia ; the last, 

 a greater amount of nitrogenous matters. The derivation of the first may be traced to the 

 rock upon which they rest : the same fact has been shown in respect to the last ; and it is 

 the peculiar constitution of the rock which makes them wheat soils, or gives them a fitness 

 to sustain and perfect the wheat crop for a succession of years. 



3. It has been shown that the soils of the Eastern district are closely allied to the 

 Southern, or to those which rest upon the shales situated above the Onondaga limestone, 

 particularly in the northern part of the Southern district. W^e find, in this range, soils 

 wliich contain the phosphates, and which are fitted for the culture of maize. The amount 

 of this crop is greater than upon the wheat soils below ; and although wheat was for- 

 merly grown in the early settlement of the country, and may have been an important 

 crop upon this higher shelf of land, still experience proves that it is not a durable crop ; 

 that it is more liable to shrink ; and that now only spring wheat is attempted to be raised 

 upon the lands, after they have been cultivated for a few years. 



4. The soil of the Southern district is shown, by analysis, to be deficient in lime and 

 magnesia. The lime which exists in it is mostly in combination with the organic acids, 

 and is more abundant in the surface soil than in the subsoil. The vallies, those especially 

 which are watered by the Susquehannah, Allegany and their tributaries, are better supplied 

 with lime than the soils of the hill-sides. 



5. The geological formations which are most favorable to the production of the greatest 

 inimber of important crops, are those of the western and central part of the State ; inas- 

 much as their peculiar composition, and the speedy disintegration of the rocks upon which 



