Essay on the Anayhis of Soils, 



r)7 



The contents of No. 2 were divided between No. 1 and No. 

 3 by pouring off the muddy part into No. 3, after some 

 of the pure water had been poured off^ and the remaining earth 

 into No. 1. They were then left to settle. As much water 

 as appeared quite clear over the sediment was decanted off. The 

 sediment was poured on a plate by taking the cork out of the tube^, 

 which was cleaned with a piece of fine linen^ which had been care- 

 fully dried and accurately weighed. The plates were examined^ 

 and some of the lighter' part^ which floated on the least agitation^ 

 was poured from one plate to another^ until it was thought that 

 all the humus had been separated. Most of the water could 

 now be poured off the earths^ by inclining the plates gently, 

 without any muddiness. It was^ however, passed through a piece 

 of hltering-paper which had been previously dried and weighed. 

 The earth was slowly dried, by placing the plates on the hearth 

 before a good fire, until they were quite dry, and so hot that they 

 could not be easily held in the hand. The deposit left in the jug 

 was poured on a plate, and a little muddy part, which was ob- 

 served, was poured off with the water on another. This was again 

 transferred, and the finer added to that which was in the second 

 plate. 



Collecting now all the separate portions, there were found, — 



Of coarse sand 24 grains. 



finer sand 20 



very fine sand 180 



clay deposited in the jug and first 



plate, dried 240 



deposit in the second plate 24 



on the filtering-paper. 



on the linen rag J 



490 



Leaving 10 grains to he accounted for. 



Each portion, except the three last, was now put into a cup, and 

 diluted muriatic acid poured over them ; an effervescence ap - 

 peared in all of them, which continued on the addition of diluted 

 acid, and when the contents of the cups were stirred with a piece 

 of tobacco-pipe. They were left till the next day, when all effer- 

 vescence ceased, and* the calcareous part seemed entirely dissolved ; 

 pure water was added to dissolve all the muriate of lime which 

 had been formed. After some time, the clear liquor was poured 

 off, and the remainder was strained through filtering-paper, and 

 dried on plates before the fire. The earths were now found to 

 weigh, respectively, 20, 17, 162, and 182.5 grains, having lost 

 4, 3, 18, and 57.5 grains of calcareous earth dissolved by the acid. 



The soil and water which had been put by in a basin were 



