SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. 429 



Gypsum. 



Upon page 418 of the first report, it is suggested that perhaps a 

 rock containing gypsum enters Maine from New Brunswick. Certain 

 considerations make this suggestion still stronger. 1. The wide- 

 spread distribution of conglomerate boulders over the eastern part 

 of the State — already alluded to. 2. The discovery by Prof. Shep- 

 herd of a poor quality of gypsum between Grand and Big western 

 Schoodic lakes. 3. The discovery of this conglomerate rock in 

 ledges on the route of the proposed turnpike between Princeton 

 and Milford west of Wawbawsoos lake, by W. W. Sawyer of 

 Calais, as communicated to us privately. And it is Mr. Sawyer's 

 belief that he has found the gypsum itself in connection with the 

 conglomerate. These considerations are sufficient to make an 

 examination of this region with reference to this object very 

 desirable. 



We have not taken the pains to ascertain whether gypsum or 

 plaster of Paris could be obtained more cheaply from this new 

 locality, should our anticipations be realized, than from New Bruns- 

 wick and Nova Scotia by water, but cannot doubt that its discov- 

 ery in Maine would stimulate its use very much by farmers, 

 especially upon those farms which are now suffering for the want 

 of it. 



Grindstones. 

 I am informed that hornstone or flint rock makes a most excel- 

 lent material for grindstones. If so, Maine need never again go 

 outside of her limits for these essential articles, for in every portion 

 of the State there are mountains of it. We have spoken of this 

 rock often under the name of metamorphic slate and silicious slate. 

 The most prolific localities are in Oxford and York counties, 

 Moosehead lake. Portage lake, and the southern part of Washing- 

 ton county. In fact no rock is so uniformly distributed over the 

 State as this. 



Hoofing Slate. 

 Dr. Holmes has described opportunities for quarrying roofing 

 slate near Patten. Our own scientific researches have led us to 

 define more closely the limits of the roofing slate belt, upon which 

 the best quarries are located, from Patten to Pleasant Ridge on 

 the Kennebec river. We found an excellent place for a quarry on 

 Moses P. Townshend's farm in Pleasant Ridge ; and others might 



