Note 6 — ON THE AGRICULTURAL USES OF PEAT AND SWAMP MUCK.
Reading edition
Shell marl, consisting of fragments and powder of fresh-water shells, is frequently met with, underlying peat beds. Such a deposit occurs on the farm of Mr. John Adams, in Salisbury, Conn. It is eight to ten feet thick. An air-dry sample, analyzed under the writer's direction, gave results as follows:
Water 30.62
Organic matter {soluble in water 0.70 } 6.52
{insoluble in water 5.82 }
Carbonate of lime 57.09
Sand 1.86
Oxide of iron and alumina, with traces of potash, magnesia, sulphuric and phosphoric acid 3.91
100.00
Another specimen from near Milwaukee, Wis., said to occur there in immense quantities underlying peat, contained, by the author's analysis—
Water 1.14
Carbonate of lime 92.41
Carbonate of magnesia 3.43
Peroxide of iron with a trace of phosphoric acid 0.92
Sand 1.60
99.50