Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-03-18
Mistellaueuns &eadiug.
SOILS. DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION
ESSAY ON RURAL ECONOMY, By CADET S.
sCOVILLE, KINGS MOUNTAIN MILL
TARY SCHOOL.

A general classification would embrace
rocky soil, stony soil, a gravelly, a sandy,
q loam, clay. But if we add to the above
peat or vegetable soil we shall have the
material divisions of soils as distinguished
by texture.
A special classification, distinguished by
the tendency of soils to absorb and retain
water may be noticed for it is based prin-
cipally upon their chemical constituents
lst. Pure clay, consisting of about sixty per
cent. of silica and forty per cent. of alumna
and oxide of iron, for the most part chem
ically combined. End. Strongest clay soil
title clay) consists of pure clay mixed with
five to fifteen per cent. OF slllclous sand.
3rd. Clay loan, consisting of fifteen to thir-
ty per cent. of fine sand, which mechanical
ly separates it, and hence its freer and more
friabie nature. 18th. A loamy soil, which
deposits from thirty to sixty per cent. OF
sand by mechanical washing. 9TH. A sandy
loan, which leaves from sixty to ninety per
tanning no more than ten per cent. of pure
clay. 1t must not be forgotten that deserts,
LAYERS of rocks, stone or pure gravel, and
beds of mari and peat are not soils, though
containing many of their most important
elements.
The modes of distinguishing, with the
view of naming soils as above, are very
simple. 1t is only necessary to spread
weighed quantity of the soil in a thin layer
upon writing paper, and to dry it for an
hour or two in an oven or upon q warm
plate, the heat of which is not sufficient to
discolor the paper. The loss of weight
gives the water it contained. While this is
drying a second weighed portion may be
boiled or otherwise thoroughly Incorporated
with water, and the whole then poured into
a vessel in which the heavy sandy parts are
allowed to subside until the fine clay begins
to settle also. This point must be carefully
watched, the liquid then poured off, the
sand collected. dried as before upon paper,
and again weighed. This weight is the
quantity of sand in the known weight of
moist soil, which by the previous expert
ment has been found to contain quantity
of water.
Thus, suppose portions, each 200 grains,
are weighed and the one in the oven loses
so grains of water and the other leaves GO
grains of sand, then the 200 grains of moist
are equal to $50 of dry, and this $50 of dry
soil contains 60 Of sand, or 40 in 100. 1t
would therefore be properly called loam
or a lOamy soil.
But the above has reference only to the
clay and sand. AS lime is an important
constituent of soil, we have, 7th, mary soil,
in which there is more than five but less
than twenty per cent. of lime. Sth Calca-
reous soil, in which the lime exceeds twenty
per cent, and is the distinguishing constit-
uent.
The mode of determinining the lime,
when it exceeds five per cent, is easy. 10
100 grains of dry soildiffused through half
pint of cold water, add half a wine glass
ful of hydrochloric acid. Stir it OCCASION
ally during the day, and let it stand over
night to SETTLE Pour off the clear liquor in
the morning and fill up the vessel with
water to wash away the excess of acid.
When the water is again clear, pour it oft,
dry the soil and weigh it. The loss will
amount generally to about one per cent.
result will be sufficiently near, however, for
the purposes ofclassiication. Ifthe loss eX-
ceeds five grains from one hundred of the
dry soil, it may be classed damong the marls ;
if more than twenty grains, among the cal
careous soils.
Lastly, vegetable matter is sometimes the
characteristic of SOIL This makes, 9th,
vegetable molds, which extend from gar
den mold to peaty soil, and contain all the
way from five per cent. to seventy per
cent. of organic matter. To determine the
amount of vegetable matter, dry the soil
we'll in an oven and weigh it. Then heat
to dull redness over a lamp or bright fire
until the combustible matter is burned away.
The loss, on again weighing, is the quantity
Of organic matter it contained.
Clay soils are usually cold and wet, and
generally hold water in too great excess for
rapid or luXuriant vegetation. BY scien-
tific treatment these soils may be improved.
Sandy soils are just the reverse Of clay soils.
They do not possess the property of adhe-
siveness and they have little affinity for
water. AS clay soils are much benefited by
a mixture of sand, so likewise are sandy
soils greatly improved by the addition Of
clay. Loamy soils being intermediate be-
tween clay and sand, they are the most de-
sirable for the various purposes of agricul-
ture. Marty and calcare0us soils have full
supply of lime, and like lOam, they incline
towards clay or sand. In durability they
cannot be exceeded.
Alluvial soils depend for richness upon
the overflow Of streams. They vary in
their characteristics, but generally combine
the components of soil in such proportions
as are designated by loamy soils or sandy
loans. Peaty soils are composed almost
levels. 1t is useful to apply to a dry, grav-
ely or sandy soil, for in its natural state it
is unfit for any profitable vegetation.
Tull maintained that if soil he worked
to proper depth and perfectly well pulver-
lied, nothing more is necessary-not even
manures. 1t is true, the free access of air
and moisture are among the first and most
important requisites in the growth of veg
citation but Tull wrote before agriculture
became science and he omitted to estimate
the large amount of fertile ingredients
which every crop takes out Of the soil, and
which can only be supplied by the addition
of fresh materials.
All fertile soils must have not less than
fifteen different simple substances in va
rious combination with each other. All of
the ordinary cultivated plants contain pot
ash, soda, lime, magnesia, alulnina, silica,
oxide of iron, oxide of manganese, sulphur
ic acid, phosphoric acid, chlorine, and fire.
quently iodine, each of which, except the
two last are in combination with oxygen.
In addition they also have carbon, oxygen,
nitrogen and hydrogen. 1t is, therefore,
obvious that such principles as all fertile soils
furnish to vegetation must be contained in
manures which, in their broadest sense,
embrace every material which, if added to
the soil, tends to its fertilization. They are
divided into organic and inorganic; the
first embracing animal and vegetable mat
nitrogen. The last only such as are purely
mineral or earthly, and which in general
contain no nitrogen.
Ashes may be considered the best of the
saline manures. 1t is also among the
most economical. Good farming dictates
that not pound of ashes should be wasted,
for the large per cent. of potash and soda
it contains improves any soil not already
saturated with the principles which it
contains.
Next to ashes, lime, either as carbonate
or sulphate, improves soil not already
sufficiently charged with it. 1t makes