236 
ANALYSES OF SOILS. 
they were not carried ont to that extreme point which often is necessary, and perhaps 
always ought to be desired. Then again the analysis of the rock which gave origin to 
a soil seemed to be equally important, and this work has been pursued as far as time and 
opportunity would permit. Another undertaking, which no doubt will be regarded as 
useful, was the analysis of the waters of the State. The mode pursued in this department 
will be given when we reach that subject. 
One of the difficulties to be overcome, was the proper selection of specimens for analysis. 
The first attempt made to procure soils for this purpose, was by means of a published cir¬ 
cular, requesting farmers, who felt an interest in the subject, io forward samples of such 
soils as they might suppose could be rendered useful upon their lands, or which would 
illustrate somewhat generally the subject of inquiry. To this circular, no response was 
ever made. It then became necessary to visit different parts of the State for this purpose. 
After some deliberation, in which some previous experience was made to bear, I deter¬ 
mined to collect, first, new soils — those which had never been cultivated ; and secondly, 
old soils, under cultivation, selecting specimens of the latter from those farms where a 
history of the husbandry could be obtained, and usually specimens of the soil and subsoil, 
the former taken just at the termination of the roots of grasses, and the latter from the 
bottom of the furrow slice. All these soils were labelled upon the spot, and put into strong 
double papers. In the whole of this matter, it is plain enough that only general results 
could be obtained, except in particular instances ; and it may be that the majority of 
farmers will feel themselves just as much in the dark about the composition of their own 
soils, that of their farms, as they were before the present undertaking was commenced. 
It was, however, totally impossible to visit every town in the State. In some instances 
we were warranted in generalizing freely as it regarded the composition of soils over large 
areas. For it is perfectly evident, and the observation is borne out by trial, that the nature 
of the soil of an area of moderate extent is sufficiently well determined by the analysis of a 
few specimens ; and we think we do not hazard much in saying, that in the several dis¬ 
tricts, there is such a similarity, that the composition of their soils is well determined, and 
may be practically useful in the pursuit of agriculture. Hence we believe that the results 
of our labor may, notwithstanding we have not visited every town, much less every farm, 
be still found of some service to the husbandry of the State, especially if agriculturists ob¬ 
serve, in connection with the analyses, the rocks and the nature of the drift which prevail 
on their estates. 
I. HIGHLAND DISTRICT. 
The territory distinguished by this name is separated into two portions, which are widely 
removed from each other. The first and largest portion may be termed the Northern 
Highland District, and the second the Southern Highland District. The former comprises 
a large territory of wild land, some of which is incultivable. It is the only part of the 
