HIGHLAND DISTRICT. 239 



heaviest of all soils : a pure clay soil is next ; and the loams, with much vegetable matter, 

 are the lightest, and are light in proportion to their amount of vegetable mould. 

 Another granitic soil, from the same neighborhood, gave 



Water 3-00 



Organic matter 2-00 



Silei 92-00 



Peroxide of iron and alumina . 2-50 



Carbonate of lime 0-50 



Magnesia trace. 



100-00 



Most of the granitic soils of the whole district give an excess of silex, or sand. The 

 amount of organic matter is proportionally too small to form a durable and productive soil ; 

 bin as there is frequently an admixture of materials derived from the Champlain division, 

 its properties are improved. 



The only remaining soil of this district which we propose to give is the argillaceous soil, 

 which prevails on the borders of the lake, and in fact surrounds the Primary district. It 

 belongs to the upper part of the Tertiary clay. Its analysis gives 



Water 5-00 



Organic matter 4-20 



Silex 80-00 



Peroxide of iron and alumina 8-25 



Carbonate of lime 2-40 



Magnesia 0-10 



99-95 



This variety of soil gives results differing from the above in the amount of silex and lime ; 

 the former uniformly increasing towards the top, and the lime increasing towards the bot- 

 tom, so as sometimes to amount to five per cent. It is durable, and bears good wheat, 

 while the more sandy portions answ r er well for indian corn. It is the best soil either upon 

 Lake Champlain or the St. Lawrence river. One of the most important improvements 

 which can be pursued for benefitting this kind of soil, is paring and burning ; a kind of 

 process which has rarely been resorted to in this State, but which is one well adapted to 

 clay lands. It loosens the texture, and gives solubility to the soil. But it is only where 

 a soil has body, that this process is useful : when adopted simply to clear off vegetable 

 matter from a drift soil, which is mainly composed of gravel, with but a small admixture 

 of loam, it is followed with a great sacrifice, and is decidedly injurious. Hypersthene, the 

 principal rock of the interior of Essex county, disintegrates in the manner of all felspathic 

 rocks, and, in addition to the contribution which it makes to the general soil of the country, 

 it also forms a clay. It is very fine, dries firmly, and may be exposed to heat suddenly 

 without exfoliating. A few hard points, or small grains of felspar are occasionally found 



