The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-29
FARM anu 0ar0en.
Dissertation Of Soil.

Soils are generally classified as elayey, clayey
loam, loan. sandy loan and sandy. Other inor-
kanc substances are usually present, such a. lime,
potash, magnesia. oxide of irOn &c, but clay and
sand constitute the bulk of the matter, and the
proportion in which they are mixed determines
the character of soils.
But few, however, who use these descriptive
kerms, and fewer still who hear them, under
stand exactly what is meant by them. We fire.
|quently hear men speak Of particular soil as q
clayey loan, or loam sandy loaa, but ask
them what they mean by these terms and bat
lew could tell, further than that the soil contain
ed a good deal of clay and u good deal of sand
t is very rare to find either pure clay or pure
band near the surface, but minimum per cent.
pf each has been established, below which the in
gredient is dropped from the account, not in the
analyses of soils. but in their classification The
classification runs thus
Ciayey soil has D to 10 per cent sand.
Clayey loan Is to 30
Loan so to 90
Sandy loan 60 to 80
Sand 90 or moro
President Chadbourne, in one of his recent
lectures on agricultural chemistry remarked
that while thorough analysis of a specimen of
BOIL az to show the amounts of salts and acids
contained, was very slow and tedious process,
occupying accomplished chemist week or
more, any person could determine the proportion
pr clay and sand in specimen Of soil by the fol-
lowing process Take any convenient quantity
Of soil, dry it thoroughly and then weigh it and
note the weight Then put it in water and boil
t an hour or two and when cool pour into tall,
harrow glass receiver Ia large phial will do,l be-
ing careful 10 have no more than will fill il,
water included, and shake il well together. In
two or three minutes the sand will be settled to
the bottom and the clay, portion of it, will
remain suspended in the water. Pour this off
carefully nearly down T.. the sand and add clean
water. shake it up again and when the sand Las
settled, pour off, and repeat this operation till
what remains will no longer cloud the Water
Then pour out the sand upon piece of paper,
dry it, woigh it, and compare it with the gross
weight, and you have the proportion vi the two
Ingredients.
A few experiments of this kind, with familiar
coils. will snablo one to judge, by the eye and
touch, with sufficient accuracy to assign it to its
proper class. This would be accomplishment
70 any farmer, and is one that may easily be ac-
luired. Nor will such an acquirsment be less
useful than curious. When farmer reads of
Lhe favorable results of an experiment upon enc
bf these classes of soils, say loaa, how is he to
know that it will succeed upon his land without
be can distinguish with some degree of accuracy,
whether his soil is loan, clayey loan, or
ly lean. Many OF the apparently centradic-
Tory results from similar treatment of what is
supposed to be the same kind OF soil, undoubt-
Edly results from the confounding Of one class of
BOIL with another while the two may require
|ery diiferen. treatment both as to crops and ma
hures. Know myself. said wise man, and with
great propriety may it be said TO the farmer,
NOW thy land WiscoRsia Frrmer