Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. SIS 
ous kinds of rocks, bui chiefly magnesian limestones, by glacial 
agencies. It therefore contained originally a large proportion of 
calcareous and magnesian material and a less amount of silicious 
and aluminous, but the leaching action of water and the growth of 
vegetation has removed a much larger amount proportionably of 
the lime and magnesia than of the other ingredients, so as to leave 
these the chief constituents at the surface. But the deeper subsoil, 
is highly marly in its nature. There is just enough of sandy ma¬ 
terial in it to make it loamy. The dark vegetable matter does not 
penetrate as deeply as in the prairie loam, so that the plow fre¬ 
quently turns up the reddish or yellowish sub-soii containing very 
little humus. This soil works with the utmost facility, indeed is 
unsurpassed in this respect. It stands both wet and drought well, and 
is a veiy durable and fertile soil. It is the prevailing soil in those 
portions of Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Waukesha counties, 
that are not occupied by prairie or heavy timber. The extent is 
shown more definitely on this map. There are also small areas oc¬ 
cupying portions of Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties. 
3. THE HEAVIER MARLY CLAY SOILS, OR HEAVIER CLAYEY LOAMS. 
This class is similar to the preceding, both in origin and char¬ 
acter. But the drift from which it was derived contained more ma¬ 
terial of the nature of our “ hard-heads,’ 1 especially those contain¬ 
ing much feldspar, by the disintegration of which a large amount 
of clay proper was derived, mingled, however, with the quartzose 
material of the same rocks, and with much calcareous and magne¬ 
sian limestones that abound in the drift. This is not then a true 
clay soil, but is a marly clay. The surface soil rarely gives any 
effervescance when tested with acid, while that from greater depths 
usually responds with vigorous action. We find here again what I 
have found true everywhere, that the surface soil is almost entirely 
exhausted of the carbonates of lime and magnesia even when they 
exist in great abundance in the subsoil. And it is for this reason 
that the origin and nature of the comparatively unmodified subsoil 
must be studied if we would arrive at any reliable conclusions as to 
the permanent resources of our soils. A considerable proportion 
of iron is present which gives it a yellowish or reddish color. A 
magnet drawn through the pulverized soil, frequently brings forth 
a bristling edge of magnetic iron ore. 
