Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-10-25
AGRICULTUR RAJ.
From he Southern Planter.
ORIGIN OF SOILS.

BY Professor II. onuLrAs
1.-THE origin Of snls be considered wIh reference 10
the geological agents whici, have produced them, aud the
whule h- then considered IN conneyion with practical ag
riculiure. the subject viii be found 10 be very iniefe,-
ting and instructive. ! praprse treating on these topics
in This and subs qncni articles.
The science Of geology explains hose natural agen-
ces by whiel, s1iis have been erajually and slowly pro-
dnced. and whlrh have effected their distribution in such
diversity ui character Gver the eauh's surface. From
a partial examinatien Of The surface. we might suppose
thai The Interior Of the earth was all confusion aud lreg-
ulsrily sands aud grnyels. limestone aud clays. are
mingled together without any apparent oder and heuce
II 10 that sucl, an opinion is actually entertained hy many
persons. The examination at these superficial accumu.
ls,iuus Of gravel. ~tose(her with the vegetable soil gencr.
ally resting on them, itaches Us liile concerning the
true structure ST The earth on The contrary, this 10 Sc,
superficial matt r, and this grassy mantle covering the
esfthfs s0rface. only tends To mask aud conceal lis real
features FINN observation aud hence, To become ne
quainled with the structure of The lnifrior, we must ex
anime a spot where the cfasi uf lie earth has been bro
ken, either by a natural " artificial cause, aud presents
what geologisis call a natural ~ artificial section, as, for
example, n seselifL. ravine, railway cutting, quarry, or
cusl minp we shall then see That the crust ni the "a nth
10 composed ofs series Of tuineral masses piled one a.
bove the other. and observing a regular order Of super
Position.
il may be remarked tina, the examination Of the sn.
perfciaI gravels, has Brought To ligh, many facts in rela-
iion 10 the revolutions which the carh's surface has IN,
dergone. When examined scientifically, these eravels
are found 10 consist chief of the decomposed substance
Of The under lying rocks. ar those in The Immediate
neighborho,d, which have been transported from The
adjacent hills by superficial currents Of water. Ii is
commun. however, l. iud fragments ui rcks which
bear iudub table evidence Of having come from n consil-
cradle distance, thtre being no rock like them ia the
neighb9thold, ~ fI many mics sfonnd. The fact il.
That the superficial grayelS constituting The diluvium
and alinvium Of he ~geougists, are composed Of the
wreck Of strata Of all ages, alllvial fotmsti ms having &c
carried in all ages. the disintesra,ion of rocks AID he
transportation q Their loose material having aiken lllce
iDev~ry pur,tn since the surface u he earta was first
divided into land and sea. Hence il is an easy matter
10 peck up, oul of almost any collrction Of gravel. speci-
mems of granite, %p1rphyry, salt, sandstone, In short, Of
almost every KIND OF prinary, transition, and secondary
rock known To the ~geologlsi.
Now. although The layers, or strata, constituting the
surface VI the mineral masses which form The crust eu
the globe, have originally been deppsii,d in,m water in
the horizontal posture, as is evident from their id+nniy
IN structure with modern strata ftrmcd by aqueous dep1-
ssionni sediment at the mouths of rivers, or on the coasts
left dry by tue retreat Of lhe sea, vet, nevertheless,
s'wing ~ earth quakes which have taken place repested
iy, aud al vast Intervals of time, he greater part Of Them
have been thrown out It the horrizmial pasture and din
and stnke Into The EARTH at every angle Of inclnatiDr
from W 10 9Uo. Hence II Is that The edge Of The bed.
emerge in suecrssiou from the bowels Of the earth anc
in travelling over a given district we pass over he edge,
of the up.urned beds and the amount .! superficial are;
covered b. any particular soil being in proportion to III,
thickness Of the upiurned bed. out Vi Which ,he soil ha
been formed.
The disturbance suffered by the strata, however d,
sstrous TO animal lie at the iims Of its occurrence, ha
nevertheless, been productive Of mneh ultimate good
Had The strata Continued in fbe horizDnial posture, Il
same rick would have spread over a vast extent Of coul
trys and the solls u countries would have been the sam
There would also have been a difficulty 10 obtaining va
liable minerals. WHICH can now be had with the grea
esi facility. Cual. for example. which lies q. a consn
cradle depth, codld not have been obtained wi huut 10
Ing through the upper series Of srat,. The surface
the earth, would not have been diversfi d will, its pr
sent grand sud beautiful scenery, produced by noun lai