200 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



exception rather than the rnle. The northern slope is steep, 

 and the bluffs and ravines are rather mountanious in appear- 

 ance, but this as^Dect marks the outer limits of the lead region. 



The interior where the nineteen towns are located is marked 

 by a rolling surface, and here most of the prairie land is found. 

 This prairie region though comparatively small, a continuation 

 of the Illinois prairie, comprises the townships of Jamestown, 

 Hazel Green, Benton, j^ew Diggings, Shullsburg, Seymour, 

 Monticello and Gratiot. The waters of the streams, as well as 

 of the mining ground, have decreased in quantity from early 

 times, as a result of the removal of the timber and the cultiva- 

 tion of the land; but in spite of this the lead region is well 

 watered, because of numerous sj)rings and the great amount of 

 annual rainfall. 



South of the principal watershed the subsoil is clay with a 

 thickness of from three to six feet. The lime, magnesia and 

 alkaline earths in the subsoil and soil constitute, together with 

 the vegtable mould, a soil in its virgin state, unsurpassed for 

 richness and fertility. Exception to this clay soil is found in 

 the eastern part of Lafayette county where there is much sand. 

 Another important feature of the lead region is that it belongs 

 to the driftless area, so that its surface is free from bowlders and 

 pebbles. The subjoined map shows the location of the different 

 soils in the two counties as well as the boundary lines of the 

 three groups of to^^iships already described. 



Passing now to the consideration of the population, it is 

 noticeable that in Group I and II there is a steady decline while 

 in Group III there is either a stationary or an increasing popu- 

 lation. The table below shows this clearly. 



