272 
ANALYSES OF SOILS. 
The wheat district, as we have bounded it, extends from the south shore of Lake On¬ 
tario, to a line drawn through the middle of Cayuga and Seneca lakes. It is not claimed 
that the whole of this district is better adapted for wheat than for any other kind of grain ; 
for on the south shore of Cayuga lake, much sandy soil is found, which is not well suited 
to wheat, but is better for rye. This soil seems to be derived from the sandy parts of the 
Medina sandstone, the strata of which are often well developed, and differ greatly from 
the marly part of the rock noticed in the foregoing pages. 
The composition of the soil of this district is illustrated by the composition of the rocks 
from which it is derived. We shall therefore give several analyses of the most important, 
those especially of the softer kinds, which furnish the greatest amount of material. The 
first which we shall notice, and which seems to be the most liable to disintegration, is the 
red shale, the lowest member of the Onondaga-salt group. Two varieties have been 
noticed ; the sandy and the marly, or the soft red shale quite destitute of grittiness, and 
which is often spotted green. 
ANALYSIS. 
Silex. ...........__ ____ 
SANDY. 
68-25 
MARLY. 
68-86 
Peroxide of iron^nd alumina__ 
Magnesia______ 
6-25 
14-98 
5-75' 
0-40 
Carbonate of lime .....__ 
10-25 
9-89 
Phosphate of alumina, and phosphate of 
peroxide of iron...__ 
0-00 
0-14 
Water------ 
1-00 
6-48 
99-50 
99.25 
The sandy variety was taken from the horizontal rock at Canastota, which is now pene¬ 
trated for a brine spring, and furnishes a tolerable amount of water. 
The most important fact brought out in the analysis of the rock, is its calcareous matter. 
Magnesia also is a constant element, but probably varies in amount at different places. 
The marly variety forms by far the greatest proportion of the rock, and hence may be 
considered as the part which gives character to the soil. Observation confirms the view 
which we should form of the character of the soil derived from this rock. It is well adapted 
to the wheat crop, and is slowly exhausted by cultivation. It is sometimes employed to 
renovate soils which are partially worn out. 
The rock which succeeds the red shale, is a soft greenish marl, whose composition 
continually varies by the presence of bands of gypsum. The red color disappears, while 
the soft shaly nature of the rock continues : it therefore forms a soil quite similar to the 
preceding. This mass may be known, however, not only by its green color, but by the 
presence of cavities in the form of the hollow cubical crystals of salt, or chloride of sodium. 
The composition of this rock is as follows : 
