8 Journal of the Mitchell Society IJune 



pegmatitic dikes and is in the form of small particles and 

 nodules from a fraction of an inch to six or more inches in 

 diameter. Wlierever these pegmatitic dikes have been observed, 

 thej have been badly decomposed and but very little fresh feld- 

 spar has been observed in them. The graphite is of good quality, 

 some being of a nearly crystalline character. In the deeper 

 working there was but little of the graphite stained with iron 

 oxide. On breaking open the nodules of this mineral, they were 

 found to be nearly pure, and on testing them, no grit was ob- 

 served. The quality of the graphite seems to be uniform where- 

 ever encountered along this belt, although, of course, some varia- 

 tion was noted in the percentage of that stained with iron oxide, 

 according as it was found near the surface, or at some distance 

 below. There is considerable variation in the percentage of 

 graphite in these pegmatitic dikes, and it will not average over 

 a few per cent. In some places, however, where the large 

 nodules of graphite were found, the percentage was as high as 

 50 or 60 per cent. The graphite is readily separated from the 

 decomposed dikes, and where it occurs in nodules of an inch or 

 over in size, a product can be obtained by hand-cobbing that is 

 composed of 90 per cent or over of graphite. 'No work has been 

 done of sufficient depth so that the unaltered pegmatitic dikes 

 were observed, but in one opening the dikes were observed that 

 were but partially decomposed. If in depth the graphite re- 

 mains a constant constituent of these pegmatitic dikes, it should 

 be found in a very pure condition as the solid dike is encounter- 

 ed and it should not be a difficult problem at all to make a clean 

 separation of the graphite from the associated minerals of the 

 dike. These pegmatitic dikes are dipping from 30 to 50 degrees 

 northwest and have a general strike a few degrees east of north. 

 They follow for the most part the lamination of the rocks, but 

 sometimes are cutting across them. They vary considerably in 

 width, widening and contracting in short distances. 



TALC ^ 



Commercial deposits of talc have been found in Virginia, 



5 Mineral Resources United States Geological Survey, 1900-1905 inclusive ; 

 Economic Paper 3. North Carolina Geological Survey, 1900. 



