THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
165 
earthy part of soils does not vary far from 90 to 
96 per cent. The salts are of course in small 
yet active quantities; and the vegetable matter 
ranges from half per cent, to 70 or 75. The e.s- 
sential earths — those on which the peculiar 
qualities of all soils are based— are sand, clay 
and lime, or the compounds formed of silex, 
alumina and calcium. There are other elements 
entering into combination with these, but it is 
on these, and the relative proportions they bear 
to each other in the soil, that their fertility isde- 
pending. Pure sand, clay, lime or vegetable 
matter, will not produce healthy plants, or in- 
deed in most cases, any vegetation, however 
imperfect; it is the mixture or combination of 
these that constitute a feitilesoil, and ana.ysis 
is the method by which the nature of these com- 
binations, and the proportion of each element is 
made known. 
“The mixture of these elements is usually 
purely mechanical, and always so with the si- 
lex and the lime ; but in the clays the sand and 
alumina is frequently chemically combined, or 
in such a state that mere agitation in water will 
not separate them. The purer kinds of pipe 
and plastic clay are of this nature; indeed, what 
is called pure clay, although composed of per- 
haps 60 per cent, of silex and 40 of alumina, is 
of this character. Where sand and alumina is 
mechanically mixed, it becomes loam, the name 
and character of which is determine} by the 
proportion of the several elements of sand, clay 
and lime it contains. Professor Johnston has in 
part classified the soils thus formed as follows: 
Pure, or pipe clay; about 40 per cent, of alumi- 
na, and 60 o( silica. No sand subsides when 
agitated in water. Strong or unctuous cloy; 
pure clay, with Irom 5 to 15 per cent, cl sand, 
which can be separated by boilingand settling. 
Clay loam contains from J5 to 30 per cent, of 
sand mechanically united, and which may be 
separated hy washing Loamy soils deposit 
1 om 30 to 60 per cent of sand by mechanical 
wa-hing. Sandy soils coiiinin no more than 10 
per cent of uure elay. Marly sMifs aie those in 
whi h the lime is more than 5, but does not ex- 
ceed 20 per cent. Marl.' are sandy, loamy, or 
clay marls, as these several substances prepon- 
derate in the mass. Calcareous soils, are those 
in which the lime exceeds 20 percent., and thus 
becomes a prominent consinuent. Vegetable 
soils, are those in which the decomposed organ- 
ic matter “xists in proportion of trom 5 to 10 
per cent., as in garden mould, or from 60 to 75 
per cent., as in peat. It is also clear that these 
will be clayey, sandy or loamy, as these several 
earths may predominate in the mixture. 
“ It sometimes happens that the surface soil, 
or the part usually cultivated, is unproductive, 
or perhaps entirely barren, from the too great 
predominance of one of the principal earths, 
while the subsoil may be of precisely the cha- 
racter warned to give it the greatest fertility. 
This occurs oftener on a sandy soil than any 
other, as on such soils there is a constant ten- 
dency to permit clay and vegetable matter to 
sink through the porous surface, to a more 
dense subsoil. Thus there are many tracts of 
sandy soils so light as to be unfit fur cultrvaiion, 
resting on subsoils that require only to be com- 
bined with the surface one, to give t e proper 
combination for the highest degree of fertility. 
Such instances may be found in this countrc'^, 
and they will become more common as the time 
increases during which our soils have been un- 
der tillage. Sprsngel, among the soils analyzed 
by him, gives instances of some wholly barren, 
but which contained in the surface soil from 27 
to 38 per cent, of vegetable matter. Analysis 
showed that while these lands contained from 
70 to 95 per cent, of silica, there was but 1 or 2 
per cent, of alumina, and a mere trace of lime, 
and thus the cause was shown at once why they 
were unproductive. On the contrary, the sub- 
soil in these cases was rich in the earths and 
salts most wanted, and had it been raised and 
rnixed with the surface soil, ab iunding as that 
did in humus or decayed organic matter, a soil 
of the most fertile description would have been 
he result. There is scarcely an instance of 
barrenness in soils, in which an analysis, such 
as may be marie by any one, will not peint out 
the evil, and thus lead te the best means of re- 
medying it.'’ 
The Peach Trade. 
From the Boston Cultivator. 
A DAY AT THE ReYBOEDs’ IN PeACH HAR- 
VEST. — DeSl TOUS of affording our readers the 
means of forming some idea of the magnitude 
and importance of the Peach business of Dela- 
ware, we lay before them the details of “A 
day spent at the Reybolds’ in Peach harvest.” 
We took passage from Philadelphia by the 
steamer Pioneer at Arch-street Wharf, at 7 
o’clock on the morning of the 29th August, Rey- 
bolds’ wharf adjoining being lull to overflowing 
with his empty baskets in transitu ; passing the 
steamer Napoleon, which had arrived at the 
railroad wharf on thi Camden shore, and was 
discharging her lading of 3000 baskets of Rey- 
bold peaches for the New York market. Dur- 
ing the passage to Delaware City we were con- 
tinually passing boats of different descriptions 
loaded with peaches for the Pliiiadelphia mar- 
ket, reaching the wharf at II o’clock, 40 miles 
below Philadelphia, where it was with difficul- 
ty that we could pass along it, for the rows of 
baskets of Reybolds’ peaches, three tiers in 
height, and extending about one hundred yards 
in lenglli, flanked with carriages, from the six 
ox and six mule wagons, counting their 125 bas- 
kets each, to the single hoise cart or Dearborn, 
with its score or two awaiting their turn for un- 
loading; reloading with empty baskets and dri- 
ving luriously back for more — a scene which 
bade defiance to imagination. 
Here we found the Reybolds loading a sloop 
which departed for Philadelphia with 1230 bas- 
kets, only to make room lor the Cohansey 
steamer, on board which were placed 1000 bas- 
kets more; and then they began 'o prepare the 
evening’s loading for the Napoleon, that had 
returned from Philadelphia tiuring the day, on 
which were put 1700 baskets from the orchards 
of Messrs John, Philip, jr., William and Bar- 
ney Reyhold, when she proceeded to the whaif 
of Mai Reyhold, which is situated in the midst 
of his orchards, to complete her loading, an- 
other 1490 baskets, starling for Philadelphia, so 
as to be again in the market before daylight next 
morning, with a total of 3190 baskets. 
The details of this day’s shipment, therefore. 
are as follows : 
Onboard the sloop 1,2-30 
On the steamer Cotiansey 1.000 
Oil the steamer Napoleon 3.190 
Total baskets 5,420 
from Jhe Reyhold peach orchards only. These 
all reached their destination belore daylight 
next morning, consigned to Mr. Anthony Rey- 
bold, by w hom they were disposed of before 11 
o’clock, at from 16 to 31 cents per basket, con- 
tainingabout 3j pecks each. 
From the books of Maj. Reybold and his 
sons were ascertained the quantity of peaches 
sent to market to the 29th Augus't, inclusive, 
viz: 
Maj. R. from his Maiyland and Delaware 
orchards 31.145 
John Reybold 13.300 
Philip Reybold, jr 6,000 
William Reybold 5,699 
Barney Reybold 7,200 
Total nufnber of baskets,. 63,334 
No. of baskets employed for transit. . . .40 to 50,(KXI 
No. of acres of orcharding 1,090 
No. of trees planted in orchards 117,720 
Busine.ss detaining us in that part of the 
country, we returned to Delaware City on the 
3lst, and found the Reybulds loading two large 
steamboats at the w'harf— the “ Napoleon” for 
Philadelphia, and the “ Mutual Safety” for 
New York direct by .sea-; the latter of 700 tons 
burden, leaving with 3581 baskets on board, the 
former, completing the shipment for that day, a 
total of 4075 baskets, having taken the day be- 
fore her usual loading of near 3000. Here we 
saw three steamers loading with peaches at the 
same time, while the empty return baskets had 
numbered 16,000 within the last 24 hours. Ma- 
jor Reybold has it in contemplation to start a 
large steamer with peaches direct to Boston! 
Success attend him ! 
In conclusion we would add, Mr. Philip Rey- 
bold, jr., is extensively engaged in the nursery 
business, more particularly in the raising of 
peach trees; of which he has from 60 to 80,000, 
5 feet high and 2j inches in circumference from 
the seed the present season ; and from the fa- 
cilities w’hicli he enjoys, as well as the peculiar 
care and attention employed, those requiring 
the very finest varieties, so as to form succes- 
siona! orchards, may depend upon a supply of 
trees true to character and of “ most magnifi- 
cent proportions.” It is worthy of remark, the 
largest peach ever raised in England by the 
most careful culture measured 12 inches in cir- 
cumference, while in the orchards of the Rey- 
bolds’ the present year, one has been found to 
measure Hi inches in circumference, and hun- 
dreds from 10 to 11, in the open ground and the 
largest crop, perhaps on record— the third in 
succession. 
At the conclusion of the harvest we will en- 
deavor to present our readers with the sum to- 
tal '■>f peaches sent to market from Newcastle 
the present season. James Pedder. 
Philadelphia, Sept. 1, 1845. 
P. S. Philip Reybold’s address is St. Georges, 
Delaware. 
The Apple Trade* 
From Hovey’s Magazine of Horticulture. 
Progress of Horticulture in Indiana. — 
The Horticultural Society’s Fair is held annu- 
ally, on the 4ih and 5ih of October. Experi- 
ence has shown that it should be eailier;lor, 
although a better a.«8orlment of late fruits, in 
which, hitherto, we have chiefly excelled, is se- 
cured, it is at the expense of small fruits and 
flowers. The floral exhibition was meagre, 
the frost having already visited and despoiled 
our gardens. The chief attraction, as, in an 
agricultural community, it must long continue 
to be, was the exhibition of fruit. My recol- 
lection of New England fruits, after an absence 
of more than ten years, is not distinct; but ray 
impression is, that so fine a collection of fruits 
could scarcely be shown there. The luxuri- 
ance of the peach, the plum, the pear and the 
apple, is such, in this region, as to afford the 
most perfect possible specimens. The vigor 
of fruit trees in such a soil and under a heaven 
so congenial, produces fruits which are very 
large without being coarse-fleshed , the flavor 
concentrated, and the color very high. It is the 
constant remark of emigrants from the east, 
that our apples surpass those to which they 
have been accustomed. Many fruits which I 
remember in Connecticut as light colored, ap- 
pear with us almost refulgent. All summer 
and early fall apples were gone before our ex- 
hibition; but between seventy and a hundred 
varieties of winter apples were exhibited. We 
never expect to see finer. Our most popular 
winter apples are : Yellow Bellflower, White 
Bellflower, [called Detroithy the gentlemen ot 
Cincinnati Horticultural Society, but lor rea- 
sons which are not satisfactory to my mind. 
What has become of the White Bellflower of 
Coxe, if this is not it?] Newtown Spitzenberg, 
exceedingly fine with us; Canfield, Jennetin or 
Neverfail, e.scaping Spring frosts by late blos- 
soming, very hardy, a great bearer every year; 
the fruit comes into eating in February, is ten- 
der, juicy, mild and sprightly, and preferred 
with us to the Green Newtown pippin — keeping 
full as well, bearing belter, the pulp much more 
manaseahle in the mouth, and the apple has the 
pecu iar property of bearing fro.sts, and even 
freezing, without material injury; Green New- 
ton pippin ; Michael Henry Pippin, (very fine;) 
Pryor’s Red, in flavor resembling the New Eng- 
land Seek-no-further, Golden russet, the prince oi 
small apples, and resembling a fine buUer-pea" 
rnore nearly than any spple in our orehard?-=-ar; 
