L _ % _^- * ,- _Department of Agriculture and Techn T .I ‘. Instruction for Ireland. IPlEMOIRS OF THE GEOLOGICAL ’ - , SURVEY OF IRELAND. TEE GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND S’OILS OF THE L At%RICUIiTURAL STATION OF THE ._ ’ %DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AT BALLYHAISE, \ . ‘IN TiiE i 0 I : C’&JNTY OF CAVAN, BY J..R. KILROE, A.R.C.SG.I. ; H. J. SEYMOUR, B.A., F.Q.S., -_ ) t f AND , 2‘. HALLISSY, B.A. > I 1 . &&lisljedbi Order of the cords Commissioners of fiiSt??ajest~~s Creasurg. : . 7 . , I- ‘, _ 4 8 ‘ * DVBLIN ; PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY bFFICE, BY CAHILL & Co., 40 LOWER ORMOND QUAY. And to be purcha%ed from ’ E. STANFORD, M, 13, aud 14 Loaa ACRE, LONDON; W. & A. K. JOHNSTON, LTD., 2 ST. ANDREW SQUARE, EDIKBCRGH; ‘HODGES, FIGGIS BG,CO., LTD., GUFTON Sk, DUBLIN. porn any Agent for the sale of Ordnance Survey Vaps or through any Bookseller from the Ordnance Survey Office, Southampton. 1910. i Price One Shilling and Six Pence. I’ I\’ L _-- -/ 1 I / I \ ,/ GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF IRELAND. I I c DIRECTOR-PROF. GRENVILLX A. J. COLE, M.R.I.A., F.&S. * ” > * , I SENIOR GEOLOQIST-S. B.. WILKINSON, ’ GEo~oarslrs-J. R.’ IfILROE, A.R.C,SC.I. ;’ W. ‘B. WRIGHT, B.A., +G.S. t T. HALLISSY, B.A. (O@er in ctirge of the Collectdonns). SUPER~~ENDENTOF MAPS-R. CLARK. DRAUGHTSMAN-M. GAVIN. B 19 26 t i Boundaries of the Sheets of the Geological Map on the scab of one inch to bne mile: Various prices. Thick lines mark the boundaries of the colour-pririted sheets showing ‘superficial deposits, in addition to the underlying rocks ; price 10 Cr! aarrh Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruct.ion for Ireland. MEMOIRS OF THE GEOLOGICAl, SURVEY OF IRELAND. THE GEOLOGICXL FEATURES AND SOILS OF TffE AGRICULTURAL STATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AT BALLYHAISE, INTHE COUNTY OF CAVAN, BY J. R. KILROE, A.R.C.Sc.1. ; - H. J. SEYMOUR, B.A., F’.G.S., AND T. HALLISSY, B.A. publtsbed bg Order of tl)P Cords Commissioners of Ris lllajestg’s 0easurg. -- _____-- -.___ DUBLIN : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY CAHILL & Co., 40 LOWER ORMOND QUAY. And to be purchased from E. STANFORD, 12, 13, and 14 LONG ACRE, LONDON; W. & A. K. JOHNSTON, LTD., 2 ST. ANDREW SQUARE, EDINBURQH; HODGES, FIGGIS t CO., LTD., GRAFTON ST., DUBLIN. From any Agent for th3 sale of Ordnauce Survey Maps, or through any Rookaeller from the Ordnance Survey Of&x, Southampton. 1910. P&x One jrhilling and Six Pence. PREFACE. THE present memoir was undcrtakon in connexion with the preparation. of a Soil Map of the Agricultural Station at Ballyhaise, and the two are now issued together, as an illustration of the origin of various types of soil from local drift deposits and underlying rocks. The lands at Ballyhaiso are of an agreeably varied character, and the memoir shows what may be done in any limited area where agricultural experiments are likely to be carried on, or where a more accurate knowledge is required as to the distribution of particular soils. It is felt that such soil-mapping should be on a large scale, and should be restricted to areas of educational interest, or where special problems from time to time arise. In a virgin country, however, soil-surveys covering broad untenanted areas are no doubt desirable as a guide to future settlers. The general scheme of work for the present memoir was entrusted to Mr. J. R. Kilroe, who has always connected observations on soils with his work on the Geological Survey. Owing to illness, however, he was unable to conduct the survey of the drift deposits at Ballyhaise, and this work, so necessary for the foundation of the soil-map, was carried out by Mr. H. J. Seymour. Mr. T. Hallissy, after determining the characters of a number of soil-types from the area, mapped the boundaries of these types above t,he drift boundaries established by Mr. Seymour ; and the groundwork of the coIoured map now issued was very carefully prepared in the Geological Survey Office by Mr, Gavin, for reproduction by the Ordnance Survey. The colours used for the representation of soil-types were selected on a natural basis, but, fortunately, this presented little difIiculty. It seemed desirable, in the case of the present and future soil-maps, to avoid any clashing * with the well-established tints used for rocks of the various geological systems. In Ireland, the larger part of the Jurassic and Cretaceous systems is absent, and thus a number of orange, yellowish, and greanish tints, nccassary in England, remain free. These have been arranged in sequence, from orange for gravels down to a deep green-blue for clays, and they will, it is bolieved, meet all future requirements. GRENVILLE A. J. COLE, Director. Geological Survey Office, 14, Hume Street, Dublin. March, 1910. .. 111. TABLE OIli?CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. GENER.~L DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUND, . l-5 Surface Features, Topography and Area, . I Natural Drainage, . 3 Water-Power, . 4 CHAPTER II. ROCK FORMATIONB, . 5-6 Ordovician System, . 5 Carboniferous Systom, . 6 CHAPTER III. THE SUPERFICIAL AND DRIFT DEPOSITS AT BALLYHAISE, . 6-l 1 Boulder Clay, . , . 9 Local Drift, . 0 Peat, . 10 Alluvium, . 10 CHAPTER IV. GEOLOCICAL ORICUN OF THE SOILR AND THEIR REPRE- SENTATION ON THE MAP, . , . 11-15 CHAPTER V. THE PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL DETERMINATIONS, . 16-23 Soil-Texture, . 16 Water-Capacity, . 16 Air-Space, . 17 Percolation and Natural Drainage, . 17 Capillarity, . 19 Soil-Temperature and Aspect, . 21 Chemical Observations, . 23 CHAPTER Vl. I PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CIIARACTEXS or THE SOILS OF BALLYHAISE, . 23-42 Soil-Sampling, . 24 Mechanical Analysis, . 26 Preliminary treatment of the soil and method of Analysis, . 26 Detailed Analysis of the Fine Earth, . 27 Interpretation of the results of a Mechanical Analysis 29 Establishment of Soil-types, . 30 Mapping, . : . 3 1 Subsoils, . 32 Specific Gravity, . 33 Porosity, . 35 Capillarity, . 36 Chemical Characteristics of the Soils, . 39 Preliminary Treatment of the Soil, . 40 Estimation of Phosphoric Acid, . 40 ,, 9, Potash, . 41 Nitrogen and Carbonates, . 41 Resuks of :he Estimations, . e 41 TABLES OF MECHANICAL ANALYSES OF SOILS . 44-48 ’ iv. LIST OF ILLTX3TRA'l'LON8. -- PLATES. PLATE I.-Drummully Drumlin and Alluvial Flat, . p. 8 ,9 II.-View looking east towards Ballyhaise House, showing drift- covered area and bare ground, . .p. 0 1. TII.-Panoramic view showing course of River Annalee, and characteristic topography, . , . .p JO . FIUTJRESIN TEXT. Fig. 1.-Permeability for water of artificial soils formed of quartz-grains of various grades, . p. 18 1, 2.-Heights to which water ascends by capillary action in artificial soils formed of quartz-grains of various grades, . p. 10 ,9 S.-Distribution of solar rays on level and sloping ground at the latitude of Ballyhaise at various seasons, . p. 22 ,, 4.-Soil-sampling box and soil-auger, . , . p. 25 ,, 5.-Apparatus for determining specific gravity and porosity of a soil, . p. 34 ,, o.- Apparatus for observing the comparative capillarity of the fine earth of soils, . , . p. 37 ,9 ‘I.-Curves representing the rates of rise of water by capillary action in the fine earth of different soils, . p. 38 THE GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND SOILS OF THE AGRlC lJLT IJRAL STATION OF THE DE_PARTM&N’T! OF AGRICUI,TTJRE AT BALLYHATSE, IN THE COUNTY OF CXVAN. CHAPTER I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUND. Bv ,J. R. I(ILROE. SURFACE FEATURES. The Farm attached to this Station consists of about 874 acres, in t,hc County of Cavan, and is situated 4$- miles north by east of the county town. Butler’s Bridge lies 2& miles to the west, and Redhill 3$ miles to the north. The Agricultural Station adjoins the village of Ballyhaisc (population 14.1), three miles from the Railway Station of this nanny. TheI village stands in the broad fl.at valley of the Annalee River, which traverses the farm from east to west, leaving about one-third of it on the north side, and two-thirds on the south. On the north side the farm comprises the townlands of Drumhome and Drumaraw, and parts of Lisnagowan and Carrickmore ; and, on the south, those of Anna&duff, Elteen and Drumcrow, and parts of Drummully, Townparks. and Raheg. TJntil recently the Station had been a well-kept private demesne, with a handsome residence and good out-offices. It is picturesquely situa,tecl beside sharp bends of the river, the residence overlooking in front a bridge which carries the main road from Cavan northwa’rd. Above the bridge, and also overlooked by the residence, are rapids which flow on each side of an island in the river, named Garden Isle. The rapids are exceptional in this portion of the river, its surface being practically unbroken for some two miles above and four L miles below Ballyhaise. Around the residence and at a few other points, the river-banks and undulating surface are prettily decked with woods, which aldd charms to the Station, in pleasing contrast with the uninteresting appeara’nce of the country around. The total area of the farm, together with the areas of wood,* peat,+ water and arable ground, as obtained from the Ordnance maps, in some instances approximately, are presented in the following Table : - * Including bare rock; much of the wood is cut down and in process of replanting. t In process of reclamation-- not reckoned in arable column of Table I. 2 TABLE I., shewing areas of Townlands, Woods, Peat, Arable Land and Water (River) comprised in the Ballyhaise Agricultural Station. Area, Woods, Peat, Water, Arable,’ TOWNLANIG.