BR. H. Loughridge—Distribution of Soil Ingredients, 17 
of this increase of a Acari power was due to the concen- 
oxide. 
The influence of “humus” on the hygroscopic power is 
known to be very great; so also is that of the soils’ porosity 
and resistance to tillage. Unfortunately, the very indefinite 
character of “humus” renders it extremely difficult to deter- 
mine quantitatively its action, and take it into account. ; 
the questions remaining to be determined in connection 
with this whole subject are so numerous, and so little explored 
as yet, that their full elucidation might well form the work of 
a lifetime. 
Art. II.—On the Distribution of Soil Ingredients among the 
Sediments obtained in Silt Analysis; by R. H. Loucuripee, 
Assistant State Geologist of Mississippi. 
IN connection with the separation of soils into sediments of 
definite hydraulic value, as accomplished by Dr. Hilgard’s churn 
elutriator, an interesting question arises as to the chemical com- 
position of the sediments obtained. = 
It is evident from his results that, in the soils treated, all of 
the important soil ingredients are contained in the finer sedi- 
ments, there being visibly nothing but quartz sand of different. 
Jameters remaining in the coarser ones. 
Does then the “clay” contain them all, or are they more or 
less distributed among the several proximate sediments 
n the investigation of this question, use was made of the 
Same yellow loam upland subsoil, from Benton Co., Miss., that 
formed the subject of my experiments on “Strength of Acid 
and Time of Digestion.” Great care was taken to obtain a. 
Am. Jour. eM a ee neni Vou. VII, No. 37.—Jan., 1874. 
