FROM THE TACONIC DISTRICT. 
333 
In this specimen, the lime was in a soluble state, or rather it was all in the state of a car¬ 
bonate, and not in combination with silica, as in some of the preceding instances. The 
same remark holds good in respect to the alumina and iron, as only 1'25 grains was 
obtained by thorough decomposition of the silicates by soda; whereas the first process 
yielded 10'31 grains. This soil contained soluble silex 0*26 grains, and a trace of the 
phosphates. The farm has been cultivated probably ever since the settlement of Washing¬ 
ton county. The Checkered House, as a place of entertainment, was well known to the 
oldest inhabitants on the western slope of the Green mountains. 
Soil from Salem , Washington county. 
ANALYSIS. 
First process. Second process. 
Organic matter_ 10-60 0-00 
Silica and silicates_ 67-24 66-12 
Peroxide of iron and alumina_ 20-00 0.75 
Carbonate of lime_ 1-06 0-00 
Lime in combination with silica __ 0-00 0-25 
Magnesia_ 0-63 0-12 
Magnesia in combination with silica_ 0-00 0-00 
99-53 67-24 
Phosphates_ 0-05 
This sample of soil is remarkable for the large cjuantity of peroxide of alumina and iron. 
It is an excellent soil for maize, and is owned by the Hon. Mr. Blair of Salem. 
A soil from the eastern part of Salem. 
ANALYSIS 
Organic matter... 
Silica and silicates_ 
Peroxide of iron and alumina (free).... 
do (combined) 
- Carbonate of lime (free)_ 
do (combined)_ 
Carbonate of magnesia (free)_ 
do (combined)_ 
99-58 82-10 
First process. 
Second process. 
.. 5-80 
0-00 
.. 82-10 
74-35 
9-21 
0-00 
.. 0-00 
6-50 
.. 1-06 
0-00 
.. 0-00 
1-25 
.. 0-81 
0-00 
0-00 
trace. 
Phosphates.a trace. 
Soluble silex__ 0-50 
The above soil contains a very large quantity of the silicates of alumina and iron. The 
trace of phosphates was large, but not weighed. The soils of the eastern range of hills 
in Salem, and onwards north or south, are all good lands, and the elements seem to be 
combined in their proper proportion for grass and the cereals. 
