46 



" Report of Progress " of the Geological Sui'vey of Canada for 1851-52, 

 by Sir Win. Logan, are here given . 



On page 28, this eminent authoritj' says : " Small black phospha- 

 tic nodules are mentioned by Mr. Murray as occurring at the base of the 

 Chazy limestone. On the 33rd lot of the 7th concession of Lochiel, 

 where they are s]iaringly disseminated in they rock, they occur in pre- 

 cisely the same stradgraphical place, on the rear of the 10th lot of the 

 1st concession of West Hawkesbury, where they are rather larger, but 

 still in sparing quantity. As the nodules, however, when separated 

 from the rock, hold, according the analysis of Dr. Hunt, a large 

 amount of the phosphate, they would probably render the limestone 

 beds in which they occur of more than ordinary value, to be V)urnt for 

 agricultural application when lime is required, as the phosphate can 

 scarcely fail to be of additional service. Small black phosphatic nodules 

 exist also in thin sandstone beds interstratitying green slates at Gren- 

 y[\lQ_ ;i< ^ * * >i< * * 



" Brown nodules of the same descri])tion, but larger in size, occur 

 in a conglomerate, supposed to be of the same age as the Greuville beds, 

 at Allumette Falls on the Ottawa." 



It will be clearly seen, then, that j^hosjjliatic nodules are eminently 

 characteristic of the Chazy throughout the entire length of the Ottawa 

 Valley. I have observed them, not only in the calcareo-argillaceous 

 and partly arenaceous shales of Hog's Back, in Nepean, to the west, 

 but also in strata of the age at the lower Gatineau ferry's wharf. 



The most practical question \\o\r seems to be the use to which the 

 shales might be put in affoi-ding a fertilizer. Perhaps the Central Ex- 

 perimental Farm authorities might be induced, to take the matter up 

 and ascertain the practical value of the beds which hold these phos- 

 phatic nodules along with Lingula;. A iair trial on a small scale 

 would be of considerable interest, and the result on the crops would be 

 looked forward to with much interest. An analysis of the Hawkes- 

 bury nodules gave Dr. Hunt the following result : 



Phosphate of lime (bone earth) 44-70 



Carb. of lime 6 GO 



(( 



ma 



gnesia 4'76 



Per ox. of iron and trace of alumina 8*60 



Insoluble silicious residue 27 90 



Volatile matter 5-00 



97-5G 



For further information respecting the minute descrijitions given 

 by Dr. Hunt, the reader is referred to the same " Report of Progress," 

 pages 110, &c. 



Ottawa, June 21st, 1888, 



