Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-09-01

the loss denotes the amount OF animal anu
regcfGbie matter.
4. Mix the remainder with three or foul
times its weight OF water. stir il thoroughly
for several minutes until il is intimately diff
fused. and then suffer il TO rest. The coarse
sand will fall 10 the bottom of tho vessel ir
about minute, the finer in two or three mi
nuies. The liquid Is then poured off into
mother vessel, the sand dried and weighed
and its quantity noted down as Slici0uS soil
D. The deoanted liquid is suffered To stand
till II settles and becomes clear, it is then
poured of, and the sediment dried al red
heat, weighed, and set down as aiumrhous
| soft
q. The presence of carbonate of lime in
soil, (Which is generally in small quantities, J
Is readily "sccrtaincd hy pouring upon i, mus
Ratio acid diluted with wafer. lit contains
Carbonate Of lime an cfIervescence immedia.
tely takes place in II greater or less degree,
according 10 the quantity. TO ascertain the
proportion OF this ingredient, place new
portion OF the soil in glass vessel, and as.
certain its weight, also determine the
weight Of about gill of diluted murialic a.
cid, and place weights in one side of the
scales TO balance them both; then pour on the
muriatic acid. la three hours, all the car
bonic acid from the carbonate OF lime will
have been driven off, and alter blowing il out
Of the vessel ascertain the loss Of weight
Then as % is TO so, so is this loss TO the a.
mount of carbonate of lime in the soil
lrmay he important 10 he able 10 detect
sulphate of lime (gypsum) in soils, though il
is not generally looked upon as component
part. The following is Sir III. Davy's me-
Iboi : given weight Of soil must be heat
ed red Tor hall an hour in Crucible mixed
with one third OF powdered charcoal. The
mixture must be boiled for quarter of an
hour, in half pin, of wafer, and the liquid
passed througha filter, and exposed fer some
days 10 the air in an open vessel. II any
considerable quantity ofgypsum exist in the
soil, white precipiiate will gradually form
IN the liquid, and The weight OF il will iIdi
cate the proportion.
The most fertile soils are those which con-
tain proper proportion of The different in
gradients The following are the proper
tions OF rich alluyial suil given 10y Sir
John Sinclair as the most fertile for grasses.
Slick, Cncluding stones and sahd) II parts,
ainmine Z, carbonate oi lime 6, animal and
vegetable matter 9. Ii also contained one
part in 200 of gypsum. The proportions "a
gree very nearly with those given by profess
sor Eaton of the hest river alluvion near
Troy, IN. W Those were, Slick, (inclu-
ding stones and pebbies) 70, alumine 7, car
Donate of lime 3, decomposed animal and
vegetable matter IL, sOlufle salts / water
3. a soil whose constituents approach these,
cannot be unproductive in any climate.
The minuteness of the division Of the parts
OF soil greatly influences its qualities. In
the first part of the above soils 1875 parts on
ly out OF 400 could be separated by very
flee sieve. Poor soils often have 300 parts
out Of 400, Of coarse materials.
The attraction which soils have for water,
so TO remain suspended in il when mixed
with il, also influences their qualities. Ac-
cording TO Eaten, when any soil, OF any por-
tien of it, will remain suspended in water o.
yer, four hours, wheat sown in it is often
winter killed The river aluvion (ahove
given) settled clear in two hours. A clay
alluvion Of the following composition did not
settle till 90 hours siliciouS soil 4S, alumi-
nous 80, carbonate OF lime 2, soluble salts 3,
animal and vegetable matter 5, water 7.
In determining the standard proportions
for soud oil, Il must lac remembered, that
as different plants have different systems Of
roots, branches and leaves, they flourish best
in different soils bulhous rooted plants mead
lOoSer AID lighter soil than hbrous rooted !;
and plants having only short librous roots de-
mand firmer soil than such as have long,
and deep tap roots. 1t may also be ohser-
we'd, that rainy region of the country, needs
light soil, while a dry one needs rich re-
teniiYc soil, in order TO prevent too much wet
in the one case, and drought in the other.