Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-11-30

common walking stick with this set out and, at
various places, twist this borer into the SOIL about
couple of feet down or deeper, in those places in
which Iwish either to of what the subsoil COM
posed or to test the deepness of the surface soil
After pulling out the borer thrust out the earth
with stick upon table OF board it comes out re-
tanning its shape, which am careful not to break
until have examined it. It is round roll of EARTH
about two three feet long, and about as thick
mould candle. 6-& - Is i
As it LAYS before me, can examine each layer of
soil through which the borer has passed A bore in
your wheat-feld Tulln for instance, is before US
About foot below the surface you perceive the earth
is dark friable loan it crumbles freely when you
touch it, and yet, you squeeze it between your fin
ger and thumb it feels fatty and sticks together. 1t
has smell of rotting bark, or Wondering, damp
wood. Without any analysis, you would pronounce
that to be fine soil. About fourteen inches from
the top the color of the soil becomes much lighter
it has less humus decayed vegetable matter; it u.s.
however, soft, and yet not stiff and clammy like
clay 1t is evidently calcareous SOIL it must con-
tain considerable quantity of lime along with its
sand and clay e.e.
It is important that we should be sure about its
containing lime and know certainly whether it is
calcarepus soil not. We can test it.. That is, we
can ubject it to process which, NTH lime, produces
certain results, and if applying the tests, those
results follow in this SOIL it proof that it contains
lime. = at-- .-.5.- stir 17sts -z +-"
To ascertain this, will take pinch Of this soil
and pour few drops of muriatie acids Cor spirit of
salty upon it it it eefvesces, it is proofof lime be-
ing present; if it does not bubble up, like soda wa
ter, there is no lime Well, there it is you it
smokes and bubbles up in some degree: There is
lime there, it is cacareous soil: the quantity OF lime
we shall see by analysis by and by. = ST ..-:. fr
Further down in the tube the soil becomes lighter
and dryer-there is more sand in it as get lower
down and at three feet we seem to have touched
rock, else large stone, which arrested our pro-
| gress >- = ''
| On the knoll behind the farm house, we took this
| L nI~nI
traces Of its formation Within foot of the surface
there is light free black mould interspersed with
considerable quantity of vegetable FIBRE not decom
posed at fourteen inches down at once into
grey so full of glitterng particles, which eontin
deep we could get. This is decomposed or
crumbled granite the sand, clay, potash and small
quantities of lime and iron decomposed but the
achG schast has not quite decomposed exists there
in small shiny scales something like fish scales. 1t
is almost insoluble but in time it will disappear.
| Upon this decomposed granite soil forest has
grown and for ages shed its leaves, which have de-
composed and formed soil containing largely of We
getable humus, amongst which still the unrotted
fbres and roots of trees and plants This will make
| a fine soil.
This soil is not calcareous You may see that at
glance if there had been lime present. it would have
decomposed those ibres long ago wherever there is
decomposed vegetable matter it is proof of absence
of lime You see, by this, that your knoll ardnts lin
tng simply to decompose those fbres and make man
ure of them.
When you wish to analyze, get good many of
these samples collected. note down, as you thrust
them out of the borer the depth and appearance of
the bore; and then take about half pound of the
earth about three inches below the surface put it in
bottle and cork it up paste piece ofpaper the
bottle outside, saying where you took it FROM and
the depth of the soil its appearance and the nature
| of the subsoil.
You have, will suppose, got your samples care
fully collected, you must now endeavor-
To classify them into their kinds Of soil !; which is
done more for convenience sake than anything else
The eye the touch and the SMELL will guide you in
this matter:
claey soil is we'll known by its stiff adhesive ma
ture when the entire soil only contains only 25 parts
in 100 of pure clay it will have a strongly adhesive
property SO parts in 100 is a strong clay land
siltetoets soil g. sandy has the appearance of
sand-the round gritty touch of sand and will scratch
glass About so parts 100 of sand will constitute
free, dry SOL, which may be considered sandy soil
though really sandy soils have sometimes from IS to
IS per cent of slicious particles.
A calcareous soil we have described above. A soil
may be called cacareous when it contains 90 parts
of carbonate of lime in 100 parts
l loan is a mixture of sand, clay, (and lime fire.
quently) in equal proportions; IS parts of sand, 20
Of clay and of lime, with vegetable matter make
bic touch when crumbled, and its adhesiveness when
pressed Sometimes it is red or yellow, caused by
iron in the form of an OXIDE and then styled Fer
ruginous" or partaking of the nature of Iron.
sloty soil is known by its abundance of vegetable
fibre and its comparative spong If red color
ed liquor is squeezed out it undecomposed peat
and requires either lime burning to dissolve its f.
brous matter,
A black organic soil we have described above it is
known by it's color it's smell of mouldy, damp rot
ting, wood, and its comparatively light weight or
less specific gravity.
Having classified the soils You wish to examine,
you write down your opinion of them, Judging from
their appearance, touch and smell It is surprising
what great correctness in judgment of soils will be
gained at this stage after few experiments.
The things necessary to anatyze soils in the uay Of
apparatus, fer and simple: any druggist keeps
them, or can procure them at about the following
- prices
pair of scales, to weigh quarter of pound, COST
which will turn with grain-a set of small
4 weights from to grain Troy with about
r 100 grains of additional weights, in 20, 10 and
grains 75c to 81
Two small wire sleeves, or bits of wire cloth, bent
like saucer, the one large in the mesh
pea the other small mustard grain. to 25c
Three or four small vial bottles, holding each L..
ounces of water (empty. l2c
set of Hessian crucibles, say from to o.. Zoe
A wedgewood glass pestle and mortar...... - Zoe
s Six cents worth of filter paper, folded as to
hold pint of liquid, and creased at the edges.
= | glass funnel (and if convenient to procure,
about q feet of half inch glass tubing, worth
about Is cents, is useful.) .-
Twelve cents worth of muriatc acid. in a bottle
with glass stopper. .... .r
Six cents worth of prussate of oassa, in s
The above, which can all be had for about s. OF
less will be sufficient with the use of such things
farmer has always in his house, to conduct analy
sis sufficiently correct for all practical purposes Be
Sides of the above things are extremely usefu
to farmers for many purposes beside the one here
: pointed out. ~.t..
Sculpture Acid (Oi of Vitrio or strong Vinegar will
produce somewhat similar results but not certainly Any