﻿II] 
  General 
  Geology 
  : 
  Economic 
  Products 
  137 
  

  

  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Homer 
  and 
  at 
  several 
  places 
  between 
  Gibbsland 
  

   and 
  Bienville. 
  

  

  In 
  Catahoula 
  parish, 
  south 
  of 
  Rosefield, 
  a 
  small 
  bed 
  of 
  poor 
  

   lignite 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Vicksburg 
  beds. 
  This 
  locality 
  

   is 
  called 
  the 
  "coal 
  mine." 
  In 
  Sec, 
  31, 
  11 
  N. 
  5 
  E., 
  several 
  pits 
  

   have 
  been 
  dug 
  in 
  this 
  bed. 
  

  

  Lead 
  and 
  Zinc 
  Ores 
  

  

  For 
  a 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  lead 
  and 
  zinc 
  ores 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  see 
  

   Geology, 
  Belle 
  Isle, 
  in 
  special 
  report 
  on 
  Five 
  Islands. 
  

  

  Marl 
  

  

  The 
  marls 
  which 
  have 
  thus 
  far 
  been 
  examined 
  have 
  been 
  some- 
  

   what 
  disappointing. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  phosphoric 
  acid 
  is 
  very 
  

   small 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  character 
  of 
  marls 
  is 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  greatly 
  

   restrict 
  their 
  use. 
  

  

  Several 
  nodules 
  of 
  iron 
  have 
  been 
  picked 
  up 
  in 
  tlie 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Homer 
  and 
  Lisbon, 
  which 
  contain 
  nuceli 
  of 
  rich 
  phosphate 
  of 
  

   lime. 
  The 
  extent 
  of 
  this 
  deposit 
  is 
  still 
  an 
  open 
  question, 
  but 
  

   it 
  will 
  be 
  unwise 
  to 
  count 
  too 
  much 
  on 
  their 
  value. 
  That 
  the 
  

   calcareous 
  material 
  from 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  fossiliferous 
  out- 
  

   crops 
  mentioned 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  value 
  in 
  restoring 
  

   impoverished 
  sandy 
  soils, 
  cannot 
  be 
  questioned. 
  

  

  Gypsum 
  

  

  Selenite 
  crystals 
  occur 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  northern 
  Louisiana, 
  

   and 
  are 
  especially 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Jackson 
  along 
  the 
  Ouachita 
  

   river. 
  In 
  no 
  place 
  have 
  they 
  thus 
  far 
  proved 
  of 
  any 
  agricultural 
  

   value. 
  

  

  At 
  Rayburn's 
  salt 
  works 
  some 
  gypsum 
  is 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  

   limestone, 
  but 
  according 
  to 
  analysis 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  stations 
  some 
  

   years 
  ago 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  limestone 
  accompanying 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  

   large. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  deposit 
  of 
  any 
  magnitude 
  and 
  purity 
  yet 
  found 
  in 
  

   the 
  State 
  accompanies 
  the 
  sulphur 
  deposits 
  near 
  Lake 
  Charles. 
  

   The 
  exploitation 
  of 
  this 
  deposit 
  must 
  await 
  the 
  successful 
  sink- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  a 
  shaft 
  at 
  this 
  point. 
  

  

  Petroleum 
  and 
  Gas 
  

  

  Lake 
  Charles. 
  — 
  In 
  1839 
  Dr. 
  William 
  M. 
  Carpenter 
  states 
  that 
  

   " 
  in 
  the 
  low 
  lands 
  bordering 
  on 
  the 
  Calcasieu 
  river 
  there 
  are 
  

  

  