246 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



tion took place. Almost anywhere, when the soil is turned over by the 

 plow or in excavations, these concretions may be found. Often, after a rain 

 has washed newly-thrown-up soil, the ground seems to be literally cov- 

 ered with them. Old gopher hills and weather-beaten hillsides furnish 

 these concretions in unlimited quantities for the geologist and the curiosity 

 hunter. Wben first exposed, most of these concretions are soft enough 

 to be rubbed fine between the fingers, but they gradually harden by ex- 

 posure to the atmosphere. This deposit also contains small amounts of 

 alkaline matter, iron, and alumina. For the purpose of showing the 

 homogeneous character and the chemical properties of the Loess deposits, 

 I have made five new analyses of this soil. No. 1 is from Douglas 

 County, near Omaha; No. 2 from the bluffs near Kearney; No. 3 is 

 from the Lower Loup ; No. 4 from Sutton, and No. 5 from the Repub- 

 lican Valley, near Orleans, in Harlan County. 



Insoluble (siliceous) matter 



Ferric oxide 



Alumina 



Lime, carbonate 



Lime, phosphate , 



Magnesia, carbonate 



Potassa 



Soda 



Organic matter 



Moisture ; 



Loss in analysis 



No. 1. No. 2. Xo. 3. No. 4. No. 5. 



81.28 



3.86 



. .75 



6.07 



3.58 



1.29 



.27 



.15 



1.07 



1.09 



.59 



81.32 

 3.87 



.75 

 6.06 

 3.59 

 1.28 



.29 



.16 

 1.06 

 1.08 



.54 



100. 00 100. CO 100. 00 



81. 35 

 3.83 



.74 

 6.03 

 3.58 

 1.31 



.35 



.14 

 1.05 

 1.09 



.53 



81.30 

 3.85 



.73 

 6.05 

 3.57 

 1.31 



.34 



.16 

 1.06 

 1.08 



.55 



100. 00 



81.32 

 3.86 



.74 

 6.09 

 3.59 

 1. 29 



!33 



.16 

 1.06 

 1.09 



.47 



1C0. 00 



Since making the above analyses I have received from Dr. Hay den 

 his Final Report on the Geology of Nebraska. This report, on page 12, 

 contains two analyses of the Loess deposit, from Hannibal, Missouri, 

 made by Dr. Litton. According to this analysis, from one hundred parts 

 there were — 



Silica 



Alumina and peroxide of iron 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Carbonic acid 



Water 



76.98 



77.02 



11.54 



12.10 



3.87 



3.25 



1.C8 



1.63 



Not determined. 



2.83 



2.01 



2.43 



According to this analysis the Loess contains more clay in Missouri 

 than it does in Nebraska. 



For the purpose of comparison, I here reproduce, from Hay den's re- 

 port, Bischoff 's analyses of the Lacustrine or Loess of the Rhine : 







No 



of analysis. 







1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 





58.97 

 9.97 

 4.25 

 0.02 

 0.04 

 0. 11 

 0.84 



20. 16 

 4.21 

 1.37 



79.53 

 13. 45 ^ 

 4.815 

 0.02 

 0. 06 

 1.05? 

 1.14J 



78.61 

 15.26 



62.43 



7.51 

 5.14 



81.04 





9.75 





6.67 









0.09 

 3.31 



0.21 



1.75 



11.63 

 3.02 

 2.31 



0.27 



























1.89 











