

THE OTTAWA t(ATURALIST. 



Vol. XVI. 



OTTAWA, JUNE, 1902. 



No. 3. 



MARL DEPOSITS IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC, NEW BRUNS- 

 WICK AND NOVA SCOTIA. 1 



By R. W. Ells, LL.D., F.R.S.C. 

 The Marl Deposits of Eastern Canada. 



The presence of shell-marl in the provinces of Ontario and 

 Quebec, at many widely separated points, has long" been known, 

 and many localities where this material occurs have been described 

 in the Reports of the Geological Survey from a very early date. 

 Value of marl The chief value attributed to this substance was for 

 eposits many years supposed to be confined to its use as a 

 fertilizer for soils lacking- in calcareous matter, since it furnished 

 a re^dy kind of lime, easily applied, and showing- gfood results in 

 reg-ard to the cultivation of certain crops where its application 

 was carried out with proper judgment. 



Within the last few years, however, marl has been found to 

 be especially adapted to the manufacture of the best grades of 

 cement, when mixed with a proper proportion of clay. Larg-e 

 Manufacturing manufacturing establishments have been already estab- 



plants lor , i j , , < ,. 



cement lished at Several pomts and others are m process of 



construction, more especially in the province of Ontario, where 

 large and valuable deposits of marl occur at many places. Among- 

 these may be mentioned the g-reat works at Marlbank, a few miles 

 north of Belleville, and at Strathcona, about five miles northwest 

 of Napanee, where the manufacture of high-grade Portland cement 

 has been prosecuted on a large scale tor several years. 



The demand for marl deposits conveniently situated near 

 to railway lines or other means of shipment has increased 



1 Published by permission of the Director of the Geological Survey of 

 Canada. 



