314 
ANALYSES OF SOILS. 
cially when burnt, the silex becomes insoluble, and is not lit to be assimilated immediately 
by the organs of plants. 
We have often spoken of the importance of using peat before it is dried, or baked in the 
sun. When used in a dry state, or mixed in lumps in a soil, it will certainly disappoint 
the farmer ; but when mixed into a compost with ashes, lime and other refuse matter, it 
will always be found useful. When used in a proper quantity on wheat lands, .the berry 
will rarely if ever shrink ; and could farmers in all parts of the State secure a supply of 
marl, peat, lime and ash compost, wheat of the finest quality might be raised equally well 
in all the districts. 
The composition of the marls of this district is quite uniform. The analysis of one was 
given while upon the soils of the Wheat district, and which belongs as much to the 
Southern as it does N t° the Wheat district. Peat contains from 85 to 92 per cent of organic 
matter, all of which is capable of being converted into an organic acid, which dissolves 
the alkaline and earthy bases ; and unless these bases are dissolved, they are useless to 
plants and animals. It is believed that even silica will yield to the action of the organic 
acids, a substance which, under ordinary circumstances, is among the most insoluble of 
bodies. 
Waters of the southern district. 
In no part of the State are waters generally purer than those which form the mountain 
and valley streams of this district. They possess the same characters, in general, as those 
which belong to the Highland or Primary district. Local exceptions may be not unfrequent. 
Even the Genesee river water, at Rochester, contains only 10 , 40 grains of foreign matter 
to the gallon. The principal exception which ought to be made to the above statement, 
is in respect to those waters which rise out of the Genesee slate. Springs originating here 
are often ferruginous, and contain organic matter in combination with various bases, and 
indeed it is quite common for them to contain much sulphuretted hydrogen in combination 
with organic matter. Taking the whole district, however, into account, the waters may 
be said to be pure, and fitted for domestic uses. They may be used in steam boilers, 
without fear of forming incrustations. 
From this fact, namely, the general purity of the waters of the district, we did not deem 
it necessary to institute a series of analyses as in the preceding districts. We shall now 
bring our remarks to a close, after giving, in a series of tables, the most important meteoro¬ 
logical facts which we have compiled from the Regents’ reports. 
