262 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 546, 547, 548 



even to the depth of three feat — which in the lottom prairie soils, is quite usual. 

 Lower down we fin I the stratum of a uniform tint (see above), down to the 

 surface of the Rotten Limestone. 



5 0. Towirds the edges of the blaok prairie, the black soil 

 becomes shallower, the pale, greenish sub-soil approaches the surface, 

 and finally reaching it. forms the " Bl ick Jack prairie," which 

 generally skirts the prairie proper, and possesses a soil resembling 

 that of the " beeswax horn n >cks " further noroh. By degrees this 

 soil parses over into the lighter soils of the oak uplands. 



I htve not yet amlyzel the siil of th3 Blvck Ja^k prairie ; it is evidently, 

 ^however, of the saras orign as th j prairie soil an I suhinl propsr, an I probvbly 

 •differs from the latter e-s-smtiallv in the sm viler pr »pvtion* of the R)tten Lima- 

 stone which it contain-; — the rook biinjj to) far un br^r > m I to hvveco atributei 

 essentially towirls its formvtioa. It is th$ref>re. highly probvble, thit if this 

 -defect were remilbd by mirl n; it with the ro:sk, or ths lim? mvia therefrom, 

 and a proper amount of vegetable mvtter introduce 1, the yellow clay soil of the 

 Black Jack prairie ; could be made to resemble very closely, in its properties, 

 the true black prairie soil. 



547. As regards the composition of the latter, I have to regret having been 

 unable to complete the analysis, already be;un, of a specimen from the prairie 

 belt of Monroe county. I shall give, however, such determin itions as have been 

 made, together with the complete analysis of its im/er-subsoil. 



No. 172. Monroe Prairie Soil. — From the prairie on the Pikeville and 

 Aberdeen road, S. 20, T. J 4, R. 6 E. 



Deptfi : Eight inches. 



Veget'ition : Large, sturdy Post Oak and Black Jack, scattered. 



Color, dirk gray when dry, bhck when wet. The soil, in washing with 

 warm water, yielled 2.1 per cent, of sm>oth, round concretions of Iron Ore, 

 from the size of buckshot down to thit of a Poppy-seed (1T336,), together with 

 a little sharp, white sand. 



Svtur ited with moisture at 67. 1 deg. Fahr., it lost 10.535 per cent, of water 

 at 400 deg. Fahr. 



The soil thus driel lost, bv ignition, Organic Mvtter an I Witer 6 031 percent. 



548. The immediate subsoil at this point, though also sampled, has not as yet 

 receive! any examination, the object of the following analysis being to ascertain 

 the agricultural value of the average mass of the whole stratum. 



No. 173. Monroe Prairie Under-Subsoil. — Locality : Same as the pre- 

 ceding. 



Depth at which tiken : Three feet. Color, a dirty greenish-yellow. Forms 

 an exceedingly tough paste when wet, but like the surface soil, crumbled in 

 drying. 



The same kind and quantity of iron ore concretions as in the preceding, were 

 washed out of this subsoil. Situratei with m/isture at 67.1 deg Fahr., it lost 

 12.821 per cent, of water at 400 deg. Fahr., dried at which temperature it 

 consisted of: 



