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OSJP. sio? 841
N” —1 •' tliifwti ii|i :il>oiil :: li-ct (loop, in :i small “Cutting-rush "
marsh. 'i'I j'*i [i' i' j tin | ■ r* iii;-eso| . \ I fi *-h | l.euis, l,sq., West I’ascajioiila.
I lii' i- ".'i' "i	ili	-mail	him!shes lornicd	by branchlets	heading in	the
" ;nc:ii|i>« "t lli’	1	- ill Ijct I	v	lints " and " sand	lion 11 ii(x;k s.”
I',-j.t'iiii-i ■ ■■ ■ ■ i-1~	"I tli!*	".Icnc coup.ii.t ",	with scattered	Imsfaes of	the
trees in'-ii■ n11!■" 1 ■ ;i	p.	^7 1.
Where ill- in i- -h i' in it.- natuial condition, a pole may l.c pushed down to the distune-• : - '•> l11 f-et. I lie poi tion in w hich the suil was throw n up adjoins the hcii-h, is cl i d.iiU _;iay tiiiL when dry, almost black when wet, and to the eye appear* to k- little else than a mixture of marsh inti'k with sand.
In a!t-mptiii^ t ■ eultivate this .-oil, Mr. Lewis found that hoth corn and ricc thme iin(dy up i*« a certain ago, producing a large crop of leaves. When lioth were about l‘> 11In s high, the tops of the leaves began to turn yellow, and the torn soon died "lit altogether ; the rice “ spindled up” into a weakly stem, some ef which even bloomed, hut did not fructify.
Hr Lewis furiher states, that the application of shell quicklime produced no nensihle difference in the result, during the season following its application.
The soil, alter saturation with moisture at 71.6 dcg. Kahr., lost 15.437 per •ent. of moisture, at U>J deg. The water obtained was somewhat acid, and possessed a pungent, etnpyreumatic odor ; but contained only traces of ammonia. The soil, dried at the aliove temperature, consisted of:
Insoluble Sand and	Silica.........................70.183
Potash..........................................................0.559
Soda...........................................................0.{'57
Lime............................................................0.109
Magnesia........................................................0.743
Brown 1 >xide of Manganese..................................... 0.067
Peroxide of Iron............................................... 1.171
Alumina.........................................................5.894
I’hosphork Ac:d.................................................0.111
Sulphuric Acid.............................................. 0.17G
* Vganie Matter and	Water......................1D.82C
99.79G
840. No. 220. M m:sh Mkck.—A partial analysis of the muck of the name ra*r<h, taken a slim distance further inland, gave the following result :
Insoluble Mutter (feathery silica).......................... 25.225
Soluble leases, Chlorine, etc...............................	8.421
Sulphmie Acid...............................................	0.347
1	‘rgav.i ■ M av. r r.r.d W^tcr............................. G6.070
100.000
The solution il„ fixed ingredients of this material showed but a very ■light reaction oi chlorine : proving that the sea-salt does not reach far inland, and cannot, ihcro'oie. iidlucncc injurioti'ly the growth of crops.
XII. N" < .1 'i .::r th* marsh of l’earl Kiver, taken about :>.» yards from the river !>;iriL. mm: Mr. iiro-.vn's mill, - miles below- I’earlington. Thrown up from a dileh ;i !e. '
This soil is \ rv ■:::•■■ -v. in ■ h-ira-': : I'r-.m the other (* ' !'.>). Near the bank of I lie ri\er. it	;i ! 1i-!i - :rty. .-tiff day. apparently with but litUe
Vegetable m ill, r :	'	mi! u.-I ii I eeomvs d:.iker. :,nd where the sample
was taken is !vi - i n.':st. ;r I in comes (if a slat- color w hen dry. It conta'iis \crv i' ' -ri !. .•■.:< .\:th:i ~!imi ^ -•irfuoe. aii'l is variegated with irregular, d r. I, e i . an ! *;, •• w iiieh on exposure to the air, lxscomc y-"e-.v.
Ac-rd".''	'	■' >■'. ■ v.th'- s.| w’ivn Uid drv. (wlreh is very
TS1-J. ,»4:i|
\ X A I. YSI.S (IV MAKMI 5=011.,
•j i i
easy, as the firm clay soil forms staunch levees) is easily worked, and produces line vegetables, such as peas, beans, cabbage, etc., but is peculiarly adapted to water-and musk-melons; none of these plants show any disposition to wither, like those planted on Mr. Lewis’ soil.—The soil of the small marsh at l’earling-ton is similar to this. I was informed that immediately opposite the latter place, an attempt was made, on a small scale, to grow rice. The/rop was very abundant, and of fine quality. The firm soil is reached about 12 inches below the surface; down to that depth, there is nothing but a tangled maze of grass rijots. The marsh grasses, however, die very soon after the soil is drained, and their roots decay rapidly.—The chief growth of this marsh along the Innks of the river and its bayous, is a tall rush with a round stem (&■(>/,«.<—differing in species,apparently, from the “.lone rond ” of the smaller marshes), G to 10 feet high.; with an undergrowth of Arrowhead, Pickerel Weed (I'ntilnteri'i), and Lizard’s Tail (Sanrurus). The “ Cutting-rush " also occurs, but apparently in the more elevated spots ; and with it the Marsh Milk-weed (.1	piup'-
rcula). The only shrub to be seen on the green plain—(extending westward in a dead level, as far as the <n-e can reach)—is the Myrtle (Myri. /t VurUincnsis) which grows to a hight of 8 W 1-4 feet; at intervals, a solitary bush of the Bay {Magnolia gjatica) is seen. .
The soil, when left to dry slowly, in a lump, becomes of a stony hardnes:;. Being air-dried, it lost 7.940 per cent, of water at 400 deg. dried at which
temperature it consisted of:
Insoluble Matter........................................ 74.150
Potash..................................................	1.003
Soda....................................................	(>.379
Lime....................................................	0.182
Magnesia................................................	l.W)4
Brown Oxide of Manganese................................	0.065
Peroxide of Iron........................................	3.350
Alumina................................................. 10.643
Sulphuric Acid..........................................	0.858
Phosphoric Acid.........................................	0.188
Organic Matter and Water................................	8.390
1U0.212
842. There is not much, in the composition of the last soil, to distinguish it from other heavy, fertile bottom soils. The large amount of Sulphuric Acid, and the rather small amount of Lime for a s^il of such resources, constitute* the main differences. Potash is present in about the same proportion as in prairie soiU; there is no unusual proportion of either Soda or Magnesia, ■howing that the salt water exerts little influence over this soil. The suppl^suf Phosphoric Acid is not large, but it is adequate. The supply of vegetable matter is not excessive, as is the case in the Pascagoula soil.
There are some essential anomalies, however, as to the viqiui'+ in which some of these ingredients are contained. A qualitative test shows the Sulphuric Acid and Magnesia to lie present in the state of I'.psom Salt : th- fresh solution also contains some iron ; and the vegetable matter (as usual in s^jls in w hich vegetable matter decays in continual contact with water) is in an a-id eoti lition (U40G).
8 b'!. It is attributable, no doubt, to the large amount of clay contained in this soil, that these circumstances do not act ts injuriously on the srowtli of crops, as might bo apprehended. Still, in taking this soil into cultivation, it w ill be advisable to remedy these defects by the application of lime, either burnt or in the form of calcareous marl. This will correct the acidity of the soil ; it will
decoiiipo-'- th" no\-i(»is 1'iwom salt formin'; T' psinn ao.j cni'v«.mi magnesia ;
and it will supply the delieieney of the soil, in that impoitant i.-re lient—lime—