July, At Winchester, 675 92 RECAPITULTION. 1,761 15 $9,550 70 Revenue from March 14 to July 31, 1836. Fro u 5337 passengers, $7,095 13 Tonnage, 9,560 70 $16,656 88 LEMUEL BENT, Clerk. NOTE. The above statements embrace the month of July, which is not included in the report of the Committee of Finance. From the Utica Observer. While we are desirous of seeing this work vell done, we have no wish to alvise expenditure for mere display. The form most convenient for and the stability that will in the highest degree secure an uninterrupted navigation, will best accord with the great object to be a complished. 64 selves in the mind, and become ultimately, Το more full examination has rendered pal-the velocity, in certain cases, then gives an pable, and which there is ample means to outline of his principle of investigation, and correc'. O the 221 of August next a portion of finally expresses himself “ quite content to this great work, amount.ng to a million leave the decision to those whose minds and a quarter of dollars, is to be put under have not already received a bias from prentract. It will be the commencement of conceived notions of the forces." Whatcanal 7 feet deep and 70 feet wide, ex. ever sentiments may prevail as to the comending 363 miles through the heart of the petency of my opinions on such a subject, State; and who will undertake to portray it will at least be acknowledged that I posits importance to the favored interior ess the qualification of being free from through which its advantages will be felt? the bias here alluded to, and I am induced That it will render our transportation to and from the Atlantic market 50 per cent. to hope that your readers will, on this very off the present cost, appears to be generally ground acquit me of any imaginable interconceded by practical navigators. It w i ference in this undertaking, volu tarily, the render trans-shipment between our cat es examination of a point that has already had and villages on its banks, and the Atlantic the attention of such distinguished individYou have doubtless observed in the Al-market no longer necessary. It will open uals. By close and continued application bany Argus of the 30th ult. the proceedings a grand avenue to our neighbors of the up- of particular opinions to particular subjects, of the Canal Board and of the Caual Com- per lakes, and exhibit to the world an un-it is indeed surprising how they fix then. missioners, at their late sessions in Albany. paralleled artificial navigation. It appears the work of enlarging and im proving the Erie Canal is to be commenced in good earnest. It is with grea pleasure we observe the determination of The Canal Board to improve the can! by aloting a new location at the Cohoes Fs, by which the great in oven e ice o the shor levels in the present navigation will be materially remedied. It will be recollected the law authoris ng this improv ment gives the Canal Board authority to change the present lie in all cases wh.re they may deem an alteration desirable to im-i prove the present navigatio, except through cities and villages, where they are not a liberty to abandon the present line. Th confers a responsible and highly necessary power. It would be vain to deny that the present Erie Canal has material errors in location, and is detective in construction. This has arose from the limited experience that was had at the infant are in our canal history, that existed in the commencement and prosecution of this great worktogether with the effort to accomplish a principle of forces, that the power employed great work with inadequate means; and we must not be supposed as casting the must be always precisely equal to the resis least reflection on the men who made the tance, or the amount of friction combined most of the circumstances that surroun led with the proper resolved effect of gravity them, in the prosecution of an enterprise From the Repertory of Inventions. along the railway, observing, however, that that was viewed by a large portion of our PROGRESS OF SCIENCE APPLIED TO THE in the term friction, we must include the intelligent and influential citizens, as ol ᎪᎡᎢᏚ AND MANUFACTURES, TO COM-resistance to the motion experienced by the doubtful utility if not a disastrous expeacarriages, &c., in passing through the atditure. We hope, therefore, and from what ON THE THEORY OF GRADIENTS ON mosphere. We shall not here discuss the we see at the commencement of their ope. rations, believe the Canal Board will view RAILWAYS. BY W. S. B. WOOLHOUSE. practicability of preserving this exact bal this matter in the broad and liberal light-Mr. Woo"house has addressed the fol-ance between the forces at the various which the importance of the navigation de-lowing letter, dated February 20, 1836, to changes of inclination; nor shall we offer mands; and apply the correction by amend- the Editors of the London and Edinburgh any serious objection to the principle that ug locations that universally embarrass Philosophical Magazine, in reference to the friction is the same for all velocities, the navigation by its abrupt curves, and ex- the papers of Dr. Lardner and Mr. Peter which has received the sanction of general pose it to delay from floods, which are al-Barlow, which we transferred, from that practice, though doubtless inaccurate, as lowed to pour in, not only a redundancy o waters, but of in id and small gravel. A work, to the "Progress of Science" in our far as regards the effect of the atmosphere. canal should not be affected by floods or number for March last. drouths. This is indeed one of its most important points of superiority over river navigations; and in a navigation of such immense importance as the Erie Canal, no reasonable expense should certainly be spared to render it, with all its appurtenant works, least lable to the contingency of interruption. Though not as remotely situated from market as our more western counties, sull to our own county this improvement is of invaluable impor.ance. Our bevy agricultural products will be greatly increased value by the great reduction that will be ffeted in transportation. Our situation will be almost on the banks of the Hudson. Vessels carrying from 100 to 130 tons may According to Dr. Lardner, the subject is start from the docks of our own cities and villages, and proceed without breaking bulk "totally distinct from the consideration of to the Atlantic market. Our merchants accelerating forces;" he considers it to be will put their goods on the same vessels essential that the velocities be continued lying at the New-York docks, and no uniform, and therefore discards every thing breaking bulk will disturb them until their in the shape of an accelerating force.arrival at their destination. Our agricul- Now, in order that such a theory may be tural and manufacturing enterprise will re-sustained, it is a well known elementary ceive a new impulse, giving freshness to the growth and importance of our centra position. ONEIDA. MERCE, AND TO AGRICULTURE. Contiuuing the notation of the preceding As Dr. Lardner and Mr. Barlow hold letters, we have 7, for the moving power toat out conflicting pinions on the theory of will keep the load moving at a uniform gradients on railways, and have left the speed, V, along the level plane; t + sin § subject in a state more calculated to create for the moving power to keep the load movdoubts in the minds of the less informed of ing at the same uniform speed up the inyour readers than to lead them towards the clined plane and t-sin & for the moving formation of settled conclusions, perhaps power to sustain the same uniform speed It is not to be supposed that the eye of you will favo me with the insertion of a down the inclined plane. To the truth of the observer, in travelling along the canal few words, by way of explanation, as far as this there cannot be any doubt, if we aswill always be correct in its views of alter the philosophy of the question presents it-sume, as Dr. Lardner has done, that the ation that general appearances may sug self to my mind. Mr. Barlow, without ab- friction t is not altered by the slight inclinagest; but these may be determined by in-olutely saying which of the two solution- tion of the plane. By following Dr. Lard strumental examination, which we trust will be applied with a skilful zeal, to do all wrong, though probably quite conclusive ner's reasoning, we are hence fairly led to that the great object so clearly demands.-in his own view of the matter, first states the result that the same amount of mechaniIt would indeed be mortifying to see a per- his objection to the arithmetical results of cal force will be expended in ascending and petuation of errors that exp.rience an the formula employed by Dr. Lardner for descending the inclined plane, as in draw mer. ng the same load backwards and forwards ||at the upper end of, and proceed down, an| Gaubil has given the answer of Thing-king, along the level plane of the same length L. inclined plane, the investigation given by which was, that according to the rules ci Though Dr. Lardner is certainly justified Mr. Barlow (London and Edinb. Phil.astronomy, eclipse ought never to appear in stating this conclusion to be a plain re- Mag. vol. viii), pages 98-100, will be put on the first day of the moon; though of late years, several have happened on the last sult of first principles, it should, at the strictly accurate on two suppositions, viz., day. The reason is, the moon has accele same time, be remembered, that it rests 1, That the friction is independent of the rated its motion, and by that the time of the solely on the hypothesis that the power in velocity and inclination of the plane. 2. ecl pse is anticipated. The sun is the in. each case is to be precisely adapted to the That the action of the moving power is not age of the sovereign, the moon the image of amount of resistance, so as to preserve diminished by the increase of velocity.the subjects. The imperfections of the latter throughout the same uniform velocity V. The former supposition is sanctioned by have usually their source in these of the for. This hypothesis has not been admitted by Dr. Lardner; the latter, as Mr. Barlow This shows what a powerful instru Mr. Barlow, and it must necessarily fail in justly observes, if not true, will have the been applied to so useful a purpose as the ment superstition is; though it has seldom determining the effect produced by the de-effect of giving the velocity and space reformation of a government.-Edinburgh flection of a rail during the transitory pas- pissed over, rather in excess of the truth, Cabinet Library, Historical and Descrip sage of the carriages. In this way, it ap- and therefore the more favorable for a com- tive Account of China, Vol. 3. pears to me that the principle advocated by parison with Dr. Lardner's velocities, Dr. Lardner, carries with it a restriction|| which are so much in excess. There can that entirely unfits it for an objection to be no doubt as to the inaccuracy of the what has been advanced by Mr. Barlow, preceding formula, from which the last in his second Report, addressed to the Di- mentioned velocities are calculated, as the rectors of the London and Birmingham principle from which it is derived is not Railway Company. On the other hand, founded in theory. however, I can only come to Mr. Barlow's conclusion, that it is altogether erroneous, both in theory and practice," when the assumed maintenance of uniform motion is objectionable, as it most certainly is, in the 46 case of the deflections of rails. PRODUCTION OF SILK.-Raw silk is raised in and manufactured in four provinces of China; namely Kiang-nan, Fokien, Tehekiang, and Quang-tung. It is to be observed Content- of this cominodi y, and indeed of most othing myself at present then, with the opiners in the production of which skilful indus ion that the contending parties thus viewry is required, that the supply from the the question of power expended, on differ- provinces beyond the tropic is much super ent suppositions as to the way in which it rior in quality to what is obtained from is applied, I shall just take a very brief those within it. The silks brought to the sketch of the question of velocity, when market of Canton are those of Kiang-nan or the motion is not assumed to continue the Nan-king, and of Quang-tung only; and the same through planes of different inclina-irst is generally double the value of the last. tion. There is no article which shows in a man FIRST YEAR OF FREE TRADE WITH CHINA. There are residing at Canton upwards of a hundred European and India merchants; consisting of British, American, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, and Portuguese, with Parsees, and Mahomedans, mostly from Bombay and Surat. The printish establishments, seven American, and cipal mercantile firms consist of eight Bri one joint French and Dutch. The resident merchants, of course, are thoroughly c quainted with the trade, and are all men of business, activity, intelligence, and great integrity. With their assistance the first year of free traffic has passed over most f Vorably, and in such a manner as to contradict almost every assertion of the opponents of an open intercourse with the Chinese.Upwards of 80.000 tons of shipping have cleared out for England, for the most part with European crews; yet there has been lors and the natives. Instead of a scarcity no example of any quarrel between the sai and inferior quality of tea, as predicted, there have been exported for this country upwards of 43,000,000 of pounds, being (and they were the sole exporters) were 12,000,000 lbs., or nearly forty per cent. more barely 94,000 pounds weight, and in the last than the average annual exports of the year they were short of 80,000 pounds,amounts which were supposed to been at least of equal quality, and much East India Company; and the article has express the whole disposable produce of the fresher than any tea ever furnished under empire. In 1934, however, the trade having the monopoly system. Under the rated dubeen above ten years in private hands, and ties at present exacted, an uginentation of he article brought to Europe through the the tea consumed has already taken place, melium of Singapore, the exports rose 1,522,666 lbs. being an increase of between to the amount, we believe, of about ten mil sixteen and seventeen fold. It is to be re- lions of pounds, raising the annual conmarked, that this augmentation in the exsumption of the kingdom from thirty to for port has pro luced no sensible advance in ty millions. The public revenue has gained the Chinese price of the article. The quan- of three millions five hundred thousand in proportion; and, instead of an average tities here s ated refer only to exports to England; but these form by far the mostulate that the tea duties will not fall short pounds per annum, we may henceforth ca'considerable part.-Edinburgh Cabinet Liof China, Vol. 3. brary, Historical and Descriptive account ner more remarkable than this the capacity Dr. Lardner supposes that in cases of of extended production possess d by China. uniform velocity, the resistance into the In the fifteen years ending with 1823.24, the velocity is constant, and on this assump-average exports of the East India Company tiun deduces the equations stated by Mr. Barlow in (Repertory, March 1836) page 181, viz: = v = t V If named to (t-sin E) vt V This assumed principle is, in my opinion, decidedly in iccurate, more especially, when it is contemplated that the carriages will pass along with the uniform velocity so expressed. For uniform motion can only be continued when the moving force continues equal to the resintance; and assuming with Dr. Lardner, that the amount of friction is independent of the velocity, the speed will i such a case be quite indeterminate, or, in other words, the power so applied will sustain uniformly, any velocity that may have been previously communicated. the friction were really independent of the velocity, while a moving force which exactly balances the resistance would maintain uniformly any previously imparted motion, a moving force which exceeded the resistance would transmit the carriages with a and that of his administration! Afterwards velocity continually accelerated, in conhe published an edict to the following ef formity with what has been said by Mr. fect: "The appearance of the sun and moon Barlow but as the portion of resistance as turned our attention to ourselves. It is arising from the atmosphere at least in- necessary that we follow a better course, creases with the velocity, it is evident that and thereby avert the evils with which the the resistance will gradually augment till it heavens threaten us. For myself, I can balances the moving force, and so a uniform-carcely speak; I tremble at the sight of motion will eventually succeed. If the car-y errors; I wish that the dignitaries of riages be so acted upon as to retain a uni-y court would give me their advice in sealed writings, and I do not wish that any form velocity v along a level plane, and with one should give me the title of Ching.' such velocity and moving power they arriveis courtiers complied with the command. : of five millions; and indeed it may be expected that tea will yield the largest rev. enue of any one article of our consumption. To ensure this result, however, it will be ASTRONOMY.-The Chinese annals give it should not exceed that on the correspond. indispensably necessary that the duty upon a singular example of the importance at-ing articles of coffee and cocoa; reckoning tached, in the year 31 B. c., to an eclipse the rate on both, not by quantity bat by which had not been predicted. It produced value, which would imply the necessity of such terror, that the emperor secluded himDescriptive Account of China, Vol. 3. a great reduction as applicable to tea.-Edself five days to examine into his conduct inburgh Cabinet Library, Historical and MORE RAILROADS.-A delegate convention recently assembled at Northampton, (Mass.,) and adopted a resolution recommending an immediate survey of a railroad from Hartford to the North line of Vermont, through the valleys of the Connecticut and Assumsit Rivers. AGRICULTURE, &c. From the Farmer's Register. AND PUODUCTIONS OF BY M. PUVIS. ARGILLACEOUS Translated for the Farmer's Register, from the Annales de l'Agriculture Francaise. EDITORIAL REMARKS. form of all these several publications, which ferent degrees of consistency; and this is in general a great fault, but which in this method has brought together soils different case, (and very often in other agricultural in nature, properties and composition. writings,) is of much use to readers, how- Hence it has resulted that the classification, ever offensive to the critic's eye. It is the instead of simplifying matters has only repeating, in different kindred articles, the rendered them more complicated; and in same descriptions or opinions whenever the this instance, as in some others, science, by same subjects come under view. Thus the a classification at variance with nature, bas peculiar qualities of the "argilo-silicious" retarded, rather than advanced practice, and soils, which are the subject of the following has introduced a vexatious confusion into It is but little more than twelve months article, have been described in the Essay agricultural works and theories. This since we first met with one of M. Puvis on Lime, and elsewhere, with sufficient dis- serious inconvenience would not have ocpublications-which one (the Essay on tinctness to enable us to know them. Our curred if lessons had been taken from Lime) was the latest which he had then inferences in regard to them were stated in practice in this question. Every where sent to the press. Since, we have devoted a note to the Essay on Lime, (page 363, experience has taught the husbandman to many pages of the Farmer's Register to vol. III., Far Reg,) and this entire article divide the soil into two classes, distinct in translations from that and other of his shows that those inferences were correct. their nature, their composition, their propieces, some of which were of much ear In fact, if M. Puvis had been investigating perties and productions: it is this unscienlier date, but which did not come under the nature, and treating of the improve-tific (empirique) classification which should our view, and probably had never reached ment, of the "ridge" lands of lower Vir have been followed; and then we should this country, until brought by our special ginia, he could not have more correctly de- not have been lost among the English order, and in consequence of the high opin-scribed them, than he has done in describing" loams" of which we cannot ascertain the ion formed of the author's later writings, soils in France. The dividing ridge or exact quality, now the "free lands," (terres which had been seen in the last numbers of level between every two rivers, or tributary franches,) nor "fat clays;" (luts gras,) of the Annales. In presenting these several streams, in lower Virginia, is precisely like our French writers, which also occasion pieces, it is hoped and believed that we the "argilo-silicieux plateaux" of M. Pu- misinterpretations in each country. have both gratified and informed thousands vis: remarkable for the same general feaThe great author of all things, in his suof readers. (through various re-publications tures of sterility-deficiency of calcareous preme wisdom has fortunately varied the that have been made,) and have done much earth-peculiar fitness for calcareous ma- comparison of soils but little. Among the to diffuse the knowledge of the value of nures-for being more or less subject to sick vast multitude of simple substance of lime as manure, and 10 encourage and pro-liness in autumn. As examples exhibited which the globe is composed, he has scarce. mote its extensive application. While we are more impressive than general descrip ly admitted more than three to form its sur have heretofore frankly stated some strong tion, it may be observed, that the stiffest face-that part destined to support its inobjections both to the matter and the man- kind of M. Pavis' "argilo-silicious" soil, habitants: these substances are silex, alu, ner of M. Puvis' different essays, we think (precisely the soil of "triste Sologne") rine, and lime. A greater number of comthat all of them are interesting to investi- is presented in the body of land in Prince ponent parts, by diversifying the nature of gators of the nature of soils, and the action George county, which lies between Po- the soil, would have made agriculture much of calcareous manures, and highly valuable well's Creek and Ward's Creek, both flow more complicated-and it is already, in to those who are but little informed on those ing into James River: that most of the the actual state of things, so difficult an subjects, and are seeking all the instruction neighboring level ridge lands between other art! If it had been necessary to practice that they need to direct their practice. As streams, (and through which the mail road husbandry upon a soil composed of nuto the main and most important opinions of passes) are examples of the medium texM. Puvis, we could not do otherwise than ture: and that below, in Surry, the ridges approve them-for it is remarkable how are more sandy, indeed very light, yet still closely they agree with our own, first ad- exhibiting the same general qualities.Among these three earths, the two first, silex and alumine, form almost the whole vanced and maintained (so far as was then Every county in lower Virginia (if not known,) in the Essay on Calcareons elsewhere) will furnish abundant speci mass of the upper stratum, and exclusively Manures. The silex The two writers separated by mens of all these varieties of texture.- compose more than half of it. the ocean, and ignorant of each other's la- Though varying greatly as to the predis found in the form of sand, and the alumine bors, and even existence, were during the minance of sand or clay, there is, through is scarcely ever met with alone, but it exists in the soil under the name of argil [pure same course of time engaged in investiga- out, the same general character. We were, ting the same class of subjects, and arrived long ago, forcibly struck with this very clay] clay, always mixed or rather con (though often by different proofs, or trains uniform character of a great extent of our bined with particles of silex very minutely of reasoning,) to the same results. The reduced. country, (as described concisely in Essay entire deficiency of calcareous earth in on Cal. Man. p. 40, 2d Ed.) and thence natural poor soils-the certainty of improv-supposed that there has been a similarity of ing such soils by its application-and the geological formation, different from that of impossibility of enriching them profitably the lower and more fertile lands interesectwithout-the acidity of such soils-the ing this sterile region, and different from effect of liming or marling a country to les-that of any other region ever heard of, unsen or remove malaria, and its consequence, til we recently met with the writings of M. autumnal diseases-all these views are Puvis, and his description of precisely simmaintained by `both writers and each ilar lands in France. We are rejoiced to Sometimes the lime is mixed with a little maintained what he then thought was as be enabled to call his support to the aid of magnesia, which then changes all the charnovel and unsupported by other testimony, improvement in Virginia and other Atlan-acters of the calcareous soil and most freas it was important to be made known. tic States for all that he says, in this ar- quently renders it barren. ticle, is as applicable to our country as to France. Whether his geological views ure plausible or not, we are not qualified to decide: but at any rate, they, and the facts by which they are supported, are curious and interseting. The following piece of M. Puvis, though the latest to reach us, in fact preceded most of what we have heretofore had translated; and this piece, it seems, is but an abstract or new form of an earlier publication, which has not yet been seen. But though our reading and publishing of the several ar ticles has thus been in nearly a reversed order The classification of soils by writers on to that of their original appearance, the in-agriculture seem to have been hitherto of jury thereby sustained has not been conside- little utility. Till now they have aimed to merous elements, it would have been almost entirely above human intelligence. When lime, or rather the carbonate of lime, is found mixed in a greater or less proportion with the two first earths, it modifies their nature in whatever quantity it may be found mixed with them: the compound then takes the name of calcareous soi!, and its properties are changed in a remarkable manner. there is found mixed more or less of veget With these three principal constituents ble mould, (humus,) the decomposed remnants of preceding vegetation, or additions made by man to increase fertility; and, finally, a small portion of oxide of iron is very often met with, which does not seem to act an important part of vegetation. Practical agriculture has learned in each rable owing to a peculiarity in the manner or class them by means of their texture, or dif-country to divide the soil into silicious, and calcareous lands.* In Ain, Saone-et-in its soil, its sub-soil, its properties, its ad-sity for the appearance of marshes or ponds Loire, and Jura, and in a great part of vantages and its defects; while other na- in the country. France, the argilo-silicious land, (terre ar-tures of soil offer great disparities among III. Almost always under the white [or gilo-silicieuse) bears the name of terre themselves in the different positions in light colored] upper soil, a sub-soil is found blanche and the calcareous lands receive which they occur. of clayey sand (sable argileaux) reddish names which distinguish them from it com- Its composit on, in the first place, as we and shaded with gray, or more rarely with pletely; in the south the argilo-siliceous have previously announced, is completely red veins. lands are called boulbeuses, and the calca-identical, but it varies much in consistence, Its color may enable us to form a judg reous lands terres fortes, in Yonne they are and in the faculty of retaining water, ac- ment of its degree of impermeability, and distinguished as terre de puisage and fortes cording to the greater or less quantity of consequently of the degree of humidity of terres, in Aveyron the one has the name of clay which it contains, and as the silicious its surface: when the whole mass, soil and segallas, and the other that of causses; in sand found in it is in a state of more or less sub-soil, is gray, it is more impermeable, Berry and the Gatinais the first is called minute division, for the experiments of and its upper stratum is more wet; when terres de Sologne, in Belgium and the north Thaer, Schabler, and Cadet Gaussicourt, the inferior stratum is reddish or veined, it is called terres a bois, terres elytres. In have proved that the stiffness of a soil and the soil allows the surface water to penefine, practice has every where given a dis-its impermeability (impenetrability to water) trate a little more, and the upper layer is tinguishing name to this nature of soils, depend on the minuteness of division of better drained; it is then remarkable that which every where offers the same compo- the silex, as well as on the proprotion of the gray veins which it contains are more sition, the same properties, the same pro- clay that it contains. Silex in the form of moist than the rest of the mass. The ductions and the same difficulties in its cul- coarse sand takes only one fourth of its gray color, doubtless arises from the greatweight of water, while reduced to an imer abundance of clay, and the red an palpabl powder, such as is obtained from nounces a greater proportion of sand, clay, it retains nearly three times its weight; colored by the oxide of iron. which explains, on the one hand, the great humidity of argillaceous soils and on the other the great contraction that clay suffers either by drought in agriculture, or by heat in the arts. tivation. It is this classification, this distinction of practice that I propose to examine particularly. So long ago as 1811, struck with these two great natural and practical divisions, I published a memoir on this subject. Since then I have felt more and more the great necessity of it, and my present work, which is the study of the first II. The color of the surface of this soil, class of soil, of the soils composed of si- when it has been long exposed. to the air, is lex and argil will be, in some sort, a de-white, which has given use to its name of velopement of facts in support of my work of 1811. Hereafter we shall be able to return to the study of calcareous soils. Our subject will lead us to some details of agricultural geology, a science yet in its birth, for which as we proceed, we shall colléct some materials. Nevertheless in all its varieties, this stratum retains the water on its surface in a greater or less degree, allows scarcely any to penetrate into the interior of the soil. IV. The argilo-silicious formation covers vast extents of the two grand divisions of which France is composed, the basin of the Mediterranean, and that of the ocean. In white land, (terre blanche, terrain blanc.) these two positions, so different, although What characterises this soil particularly near, we are unable to assign to the deis that when it is dry, it is easily enough posites of this stratum shades of difference penetrated by water, but when once satu- which may very sensibly distinguish them. rated. it admits no more; the water which That which covers a part of the basin of then falls upon its surface remains there the Rhone, the only basin of France which without being able to penetrate it; this declines towards the Mediterranean, pre1. The soil of which we are going to property has caused it to be called imper-sents, then the same characteristics as in speak is not to be confounded with the meable soil, because in fact it does not per- the other parts of this country which degranite or schistous soils which cover the init the water to pass through to the lower cline towards the ocean. Nevertheless, in most elevated parts of the globe. These strati. the basin of the Rhone, the alluvion may last soils offer indeed an analogy of com One of the worst results of this imper-be more clayey, a property which it shares position and productions with the former mability of the soil is the unhealthiness with all the different strata of the surface they are also composed of alumine and which is experienced in a greater or less of the soil in this basin. silex-but they abound in granitic or schis-degree wherever this soil occurs: the intertous fragments of various magnitudes, mittent fevers which are observed more or which are not met with in like manner in ess on the border. of stignant waters are the argilo-silicious plateaur; they produce, very frequently endemic on the argilo-silias these last, the hath and broom, but the cious plains, although they may present fern does not grow abundantly on them.-neither marshes nor ponds. Their formation is not the same, the exterior This unhealthiness, it appears, may be characteristics and the sub-soils are differ- explained in a plausible manner. ent; the granitic or schi-tons soils seem to The water with which the soil is inunhave been owing to decompositions of dated, not being able to escape in any digranite or schist on the same spots by me-rection, remains there in a state of stagnateoric influence; at other times they have tion, the general principle of the corruption been produced by the movem nt of partia of water. It forms then in the soil a kind of interior marsh; the sun and the dryness of the air exhale a part. These waters, motionless, diminished, heated by the sun in the warmth of the long summer's days, ferment, become altered, and are sometimes so much corrupted as to become black; they are then an unwholesome drink for men; and at the same time the exhalations of a soil impregnated with corrupted water bemation often rises on their slopes to rome unhealthy, as those of the borders of marshes, of ponds, and of all lands temrarily inundated, and which the summer's u strikes upon, after the waters are drawn waters in the interior basins. The argilo-silicious soil, on the contrary. belongs, as we shall see hereafter, to a great deposite which seems to have been general: but which, however, did not rise to great heights. It covers, in France and elsewhere, vast extents, and it composes at le ist three fourths of our forest lands in the pluns; the great forests in the neigh borhood of Paris and those of Normandy are almost entirely composed of it. It i the only great shade of soil which is pro daced every where with striking analogie *Here and elsewhere the author uses the term "silicious soits" in entra-distinction fro.n " caleace gas"--or to de imate sods which are not at all cales We have elsewhere used the term "acid soils" for the general class.-ED. FAR. REG. rums The cause of this may be attributed to the numerous formations of gray clay, which we shall call granite clay, that are found in this basin; and besides, to this circumstance, that the river which occupies the bottom of this basin having a much greater descent than those which flow to the ocean, (since Geneva is 300 toises above the level of the sea, consequently in a course of 120 leagues the river falls 300 toises,) the soil there has been more profoundly agitated, the plastic clay has been dissolved in greater masses, and has given more stiffness to all these strata of the basin, and first to the argilo-silicious formation. V. This formation, generally, covers the plateaus, [idges or table lands] which separato the basins of great rivers, whenever they are not divided by elevated mountains; and when mountains divide them, this for very considerable heights. Thus it is found on the first steps, or ascent, of the monntains of Autumnois; it is found covering the granites of a part of HautThen among the inhabitants of a dis- Charolais, of the mountains of Forez, and rict, in the midst of an atmosphere mixed rising to almost equal heights on the two with deleterious exhalations, numerous in- slopes of those mountains which decline, on rinittent fevers occur, without any nece--the one side to the Loire, and on the other to the Rhone-that is to say, to the ocean in it the fresh water remains so numerous The causes which have brought about this and to the Medeiterranean. But then the in marls, as well the stony, as the earthy state of things may be conceived: the sandy difference of stiffness is sensible between kinds; and, besides, when the basins of particles inust have been first deposited, and the formation on the one side of the ocean, rivers not separated by mountains, this for-have formed the alluvions of the more elcand that on the side of the Mediterranean.mation, occupies the whole extent of theated parts of the basins; the waters on It is found at an almost equal height in intermediate ridges or table lands. Finally,etiring have left them successively exthe environs of Lausanne in Switzerland, the alluvion placed in the basin of the ocean posed, and the fine and clayey particles, reof Thonon in Savoy where it rises above rises on the slopes of the mountains to the na ning last in suspension, have been prothe alluvions of the borders of the Lake of same relative height as that placed in the gressively more numerous in the deposites Geneva The great argilo-silicious table basin of the Mediterranean; and whereas they approached the sea, and conseland of the basin of the Rhone, which from these mountains are depressed, the strata of quently have rendered the alluvions more stiff, more clayey. Thus the soil of the the gates of Lyons, covering a part of the this alluvion unite, and are confounded. bor lers of the Seine which often shows departments of Ain and of Saone-et-Loire, This stratum of identical composition reaches to the middle of that of Jura, rests which covers such vast extents in countriesile stiffness at Paris, acquires more as it on elevated chauss'ees of the granites of distant from each other, which has risen approaches the sea and in like manner the littoral soil of the three rivers, the Rhone, * near Lyons: an what is above the basin of rivers, which unites the very remarkable, is that, as we have said basins of seas, can, it seems only be owing their confluence, than that of the Rhone in the Saone, and the Aisne, is lighter before elsewhere, the general declivity of this pla- to the last phasis of the movement of great Comtat, an that of Comtat is less clayey teau lies in a direction contrary to the course waters, of the movement of seas themselves than that of the great plain in Arles: these of the rivers which border it; that it goes confounded together. facts are explained in the same manner as on increasing in this direction for the 20 the preceding. leagues of its length, so that the plateau towards the heights of ends It is true that few marine remains are met with in this stratum: the few petrified sea-urchins, which are found in Sologne by rising nearly 100 toises above the course may there be contemporary with the beds of Tuestions of the formation of soils, I shall of the rivers which bound it on the two sides. mill-stones which crop out through the ar- XI. Finding myself involved in the great not hesitate, at the risk of digressing from my subject to collect here many important facts in agricultural geology. VI. The fragments of rocks which this The argilo-silicicus deposite has been formation contains, are always pieces more very evidently the last of the great deor less rounded by the movement of waters, IX. This stratum must then have been posites which have covered vast surfaces: and the largest are generally found at the deposited by the water over the whole sur- it is, in some sort, the last phasis, or general greatest depth. The strata are always face; and it would not be difficult to explain movement of waters, on the surface of the horizontal, the sand is almost always coarser how, while continuing to cover the ridges earth; but since then, partial revolutions in the inferior strata, and its grains are and table lands, it may have disapeared seem to have taken place in the basins of successively finer up to the surface, where from the bottoms of the basins which it large and small rivers; there are even some they are very minute. All these circum-covered. When, by a course of which we to which we seem able to assign an era, stances evidently indicate successive preci- are ignorant, the level of the inferior waters and which do not go beyond the historical pitations from a liquid, in the bosom of was lowered, currents were formed in the ages. Thus many positive and very rewhich the suspended carthy particles have interior of the basins of the rivers which arkable facts may induce an opinion that been at liberty to obey the law of their in the great reservoirs; the waters quitted in the basin of the Rhone a great movegravities. It is then an aqueous deposite the high lands, to collect together in the ment of waters must have taken place which has extended itself over vast sur-basins, their natural bed; the waters of the since the establishment of the Roman dofaces. Nevertheless, it is not to be be- elevated parts of the table lands, to reach minion in this country. When wells are lieved that this deposite has been for a their respective basins acquired but little dug at Marseilles, water is found under a length of time carried along by the waters rapidity in their courses of short extent, and stratum of gravel about 20 feet thick, as before its precipitation, for it frequently con- only carried off more or less of the last de-its junction with another formation on taius fragments whose angles still remain posite, which was not altered in its compo. which we meet with traces of habitation, and which have not been rolled long enough sition. But it was not the same in the bot-roads, Ronan, Phœnician and Gallic medto become round. In the basin of the Seine tom of the basins; there, rapid currents of ls. This level of the soil has then been inthe flints of chalk beds, which are there met great length were established; and impel-habitated, two thousand years or more ago, with still preserve, in part, their native led by the waters above, they swept off the forms; and the fragments of mill-stone last deposite and mingled its elements with (siler carie) which are found in Sologne are the deposites of the inferior strata. not yet rounded, although they have been rolled; and finally the rolled flint stones which are found in the argilo-siliceous deposite of the Rhone belong to the ancient alluvions of the basin, and have not received their form in the various movements of the deposite in which they now occur. VII. Every where this stratum covers the great formations and is no where covered by them; it is then evidently the last of the great revolution which has agitated the surface of the globe. and consequently the stratum of gravel more than 20 feet thick which covers these parts of the basin has been brought into them since, by a movement of waters which no historical recollection recals, When the waters became less rapid, the fragments which they carried along, were successively deposited, commencing with But if we remark further that in ascendthe heaviest; and as they approached a ing the basin of the Rhone to Arles, to: state of repose, the minute particles which Orange and Valence, to Nimes, to Lyons, the waters retained in suspension were pre-he traces of Roman inhabitation are every cipitated, and formed the upper stratum, where covered with a stratum of gravel which has become the vegetable stratum, many feet thick-that at Bourg, situated [or mould] of the lower part of the basins, in the same basin, are found medals, in. and which is composed of fragments of all struments of a contemporary date and of the formations carried off by the waters, the the same sort as those met with at Marlatest as well as the most ancient. seilles, and every thing which characterises an ancient level of habitation between two strata of gravel analogous to those which cover them elsewhere-weshall have good reason to believe that the stratum above the medals which have been found, must be owing to the one same revolution, which consequently must have changed the whole face of the lower part of the basin of the Rhone. X. This is the place to remark that the argilo-silicious deposites which cover the lateaux, generally increase in stiffness as VIII. It does not appear possible to attribute it to fresh waters, to the formations, always partial, of river waters, which take a distinct character in each basin, and gen-hey approach the sea; thus, in the basin erally occupy its bottom. We do not find *These blanks occur in the French publication and probably were made necessary by the illegibility o the manuscript. In the several pieces by M. Pavis. as published, there are numerous indications of mis takes of the author's words; and sometimes others of his meaning-so manifest, that the translator has ventured to alter them.-ED. of the Loire, the sands of the Sologne are This stratum at Marseilles, and in the the greater part of the places where it oc |