1903] VEGETATION OF THE BAY OF FUNDY MARSHES 281 
followed by bright sunshine will cause the surface to cake so 
hard that germinating seeds cannot break through, and much 
loss is thus caused to crops. 
The mechanical nature of the soil will be much more evident 
from the following mechanical analysis of five selected samples 
from typical localities, which has been made for me through the 
kindness of Professor G. E. Stone, of the Massachusetts Agri- 
cultural College. 
s g 3 a Pee t. : 
= - * ) ° 
s | &.| de] 82 | Se | de | 9 gq | Pe 
a AE | a&® | no | Be | gw] Se | 8 2 E 
SAMPLES fe a@ <I “ g& 28 ge oe 3& 
5 3 3A a6 Bo n on) Hg -8 es 
Ss bo S gh |] eo] 3% | ee | es go | Fo g 
5 a ts 5 i She = S - 
I hy marsh, un- 
ag Pd i 2.200 | 6.505 1025 275 | 4.125 | 9.360 | 22,185 | 36.165 | 10.390] 8.585 | 99.815 
II, Low marsh, with poor 
tation,............] 2.600 | 10,920 .000 +400 .285 | 1.900 | 1.300 | 50,110 | 17.735 | 10.530 |2495.780 
TIl. “Pigg in freshly i 
PRO cretrehicecs- 73 : d ; Me : ; : ; 
IV. Blue mud from 1.800 | 6.200] 1.125 | 3.100 | 2.025 | 4.225 | 45.275 | 14.125 | 12.400] 9 99-935 
Bon ee... “160 +36 +12 +32 2,400 | 6,210 885 | 20. 10.865 | 15.200] 99.905 
rom River Habitant,| > cee he) eee ee 33.885 | 20.375 
Rddinle sla vinlieeen ve 3-400 3.200 125 .260 1.485 4.060 | 46,010 | 26,800 8,710 5.825 99.875 
These figures confirm the impression made by the appearance 
of the marsh soils, that they are, as a whole, of unusually fine 
texture. This becomes yet more evident when they are compared 
with the results of similar analyses made of various soils else- 
where (as for example the many published in the Budletins of 
the Division of Soils of the United States Department of Agri- 
culture).*5 Soils of this degree of fineness are far from those 
adapted to truck and root crops, and are close to those best 
adapted for grass and grain crops. The fineness of the soil, with 
its consequent increase of surface for chemical solution, has an 
important influence upon its fertility, in rendering more easily 
available such valuable minerals as it possesses. The marsh soils 
differ, however, from most other fine soils in the smallness of the 
Proportion of clay in comparison with the silt and fine silt. A 
*3A specimen sent me by Professor Shutt. 
* Obviously a considerable error here; cause unknown. Probably the entire 
analysis of this sample is untrustworthy 
*5 Or the synoptical article, “ Soils in their relation to crop production,” by MILTON 
WHITNEY, in the Year Book of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1894. 
