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feet is a stratum bed or layer of clay; tbe soil is black, lias a soft 
spongy feel, and when pressed between the thumb and finger, a reddish 
colored liquid is forced out; this contains an abundance of undecomposed 
vegetable fibre, test need not be applied (muriatic acid) as it will be seen 
at a glance, by the undecomposed state of the vegetable matter, that 
there is no lime present. This is evidently a “peaty soil.” Save a speci¬ 
men as above; label it, “No. 2, &c.—quality, peaty.” 
The next specimen w r e will take from the cold, clayey field, so liable to 
■“bake” and crack when it is worked in hot weather—the soil is of a yel¬ 
lowish color, owing no doubt to the presence of a little oxide of iron; as 
we descend, it becomes lighter colored, and has a clammy, adhesive feel. 
This, we readily perceive, is a stiff, argillaceous or clayey soil, partaking 
a little of the ferruginous or irony character. Put up your sample, as 
usual, and label it, “No. 3—clayey.” 
* Next, and last, we will take a sample from the field which produces 
about forty bushels of wheat to the acre, without any manuring. Ex¬ 
tending a foot below the surface, we find a dark friable loam, it crumbles 
freely when handled, and upon pressing it between the fingers it feels 
“fatty,” and sticks together, and smells like mouldering wood, or de¬ 
composed bark. Near fourteen inches below the surface, the soil becomes 
lighter, and contains less humus, or decayed vegetable mould ; it is soft 
to the touch, though not stiff and clammy, like the clayey specimen. Here 
must be lime, but let us be sure. This is readily ascertained by applying 
the test, which will cause it to smoke and foam. This is a fine calcareous 
soil, or loam. The amount of lime we shall ascertain by analyzing-. 
Preserve a sample as above, and label, “No. 4—calcareous loam.” 
We have now four good specimens of the principal classification of 
soils, consisting of Silicious, Argillaceous # Peaty and Calcareous. We 
make these classifications merely for convenience, as we have an endless 
variety by the mixture of the above with each other, and with other 
varieties, with which I have not thought best to trouble you. We have 
now all things in readiness for analyzing the soils; that is, separating the 
different substances of which the soil is composed from each other, and 
ascertaining their respective proportion, in order that we may be able to 
form a correct judgment of the fertility of the soil, and its adaptation to 
particular crops. 
