Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-10-26


Geological Definitions.
Many terms, IN general Use among sc'cn'
,fc men. and usually employed In asricul'
tural works. are obscure TO young reader.
For their sakes We will explain some OF
them and shall not Be angry Il cd rnsu
pro6s By the explanation.
SoL. The surface earth. OF whatever in
gredisuls {, may bO composed. IL may b
a elay-sOil, a sand soil, ealsarcous soil, as
the surface !, COMPOSED Of clay, or ani, or
elay strongly mixed with lime, etc.
Sru,nrt. The earth lying below the orii.
nary depth 10 which the plO- or spade psu-
citrate. Sometimes il has hardened by the
running Of the plow over 70 Cor series OF
ycar.; then il j. called pas, as hari'pan,
clay-pau. etc. IL i. sometimcs VI the sane
nature as the top.soil. a. in clay.lanl' in
others itisa different earth as when 4
c1ar,e gravel undcrl,cs vegetable mold, or
whsu clav lies beneath saniy sol.
Srusotl PtowNG. ln ordinary plowing.
,hs share runs from Eve % seven inches
dep. 4 plow has been cOn'tructed (callci
the subsol rlow), o. follow in the furrow,
and brcak up from SIX to eight inches deep.
er-.o that the whole plowins penetrate,
from ten to sixteen inches.
Sru,orl Prov Aplow having a narrow
"dsslls sirrv. or a small sharc on each side
Of the coulter. and no mold.boArd" IL Is
designed 10 break up and soften the suo'oil,
bot not to bring iI up TO the top.
Nom. 4 sotl in which dc,aycd Iegsta.
be matter largely PrcjomiOaies over oarih.
Thus. lsaf.moli i soil pr,saPaliy composed
OF rotten leaves. dung mold, OF dang r.
duecd to ane POvdsry matter heath
mold. black vegetable soil found in heath
laud, pea,.noli, i1rost mold, sarieh-nold,
etc.
LOAN. Clay. or any OF the primitive
ear,h.. reduced 70 mellow, friable state by
the intsrmixiure Of Ssai, or vegetable mat
tor. is called loan. Clay lands we'll ma
nur,d with sand, dung, or muck. are turn
81. generally, to loan.
AxouLIcEors. From ,he Latin (arsiEs-
orus.l .oil principally eomPoscd oi clay.
AlruN, on AtuNNE. Generally en-
rloy,d to signify pars clay. IL i, ehcmi-
cally .psaking, a metallic oxide ailHisIl'H
{. tha metallic ba',, and IS an elementary
substance.
It's generally known that the diamond
d. pure carbon. charcoal i, carbon iE an
impure siaie). bot il i. not generally known
that the nv aud the 'appiirs, " two Of tho
mo., beautiful gems with which We are
acquainted, are composed almost solely Of
alumina," or pure clay in srys'aliIcd
state.
Siucor,. IA earth composed largely
of.lcx. Sir or aIoa !. considered 10 BE-
primitive earth constituting lIn;, and
c5atNiuins most kind. Of sands. and sand.
stones. etc. China, or porcelain, ware is
formed from silica and alaminA united, %.
from ,illsioas sand aud clay.
C.cEror, \ .3il into tie composition
of which lime enter. largely. Limestone
land. are ealcarc0a.. Pure clay mAuurcl
freely with mari becomes ealeareoas, i,r
uarl 10. mostly, clay and carbonate Of lms
Artrvnt. strictly speaking, alluvium
or allu,ial soil. isa .ol formed by causes
ys, m existence. Thu. bottom land =
formed by the wash Of river. Il j. usual.
lya mixture Of dccaycl vegetable matter
aud sand.
Durynt. 4 dluvial .oil or deposit is
on. formed by causes no longer ineKi',ence.
Tbusa deposit by delucc i' termed d'h-
r.aL The word b. derived from the Latin
(ihrgrl .lgnifyins dclus'.
The term. asiIlaccous, ealcareous, s'lici.
ou.. alluyial and dluv:al are constantly
employed 10 al works which treat Of hu'-
blntry.
FErHtE. \ friAbl, soil i. one which
eruuble. easily. Clay i, aii,ur,, or in
common language o'rnmy leaf mold i'
friab,s. or crumblins. Clay becomes fria-
Ole when. hy exposure to air or frost, or BY
addition or sand. vegetable matter, etc, II
D.. thoroughly mellJwsd.