228 Geological Reports of the State of New York. 
one of the districts, the designations of the rocks, their position, 
connection, and organic remains, demand the language of one 
mind. Hoping for a harmonious and splendid work, let us take 
a brief review of the progress of the survey for the last year. 
As the general groups had already been announced, and are 
considered correct, the additions have been made chiefly from 
the filling up of the less observed parts of the state. ; 
1. Facts in respect to the salines at Onondaga lake. By bo- 
ring at Syracuse to the depth of two hundred and sixty five feet, 
one hundred feet deeper than any previous boring, brine of much 
greater strength was obtained. Taking saturation at 100°, the 
old well yielded brine of the strength of 56°, on the scale; while 
the new well gives the strength of 78°, a difference of nearly 
forty percent. 'The average number of bushels produced in the 
two preceding years, was 2,700,000; and this amount may now 
be greatly increased. ‘The importance of the salines to the state 
and to the country, needs no remark, and the means of making 
them more valuable are ably considered by Dr. Beck, pp. 18-23, 
and by Prof. Vanuxem, pp. 141-5. 
2. The amount of hydraulic limestone in the western part of 
the state, and of nearly the same excellent quality. It lies at 
the base of the terrace of limestone, which is so prominent in 
Erie County, and may be traced from Niagara River to Cayuga 
Lake. It is attended every where “by numerous and copious 
sulphur springs,” or springs yielding sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 
From Black Rock. eastward, it occurs in many places; abounds 
at Williamsville, where it is burned and ground for cement by 
thousands of barrels. It occurs at Rochester also. The differ- 
ence in the quality of the hydraulic lime is attributed more to the 
burning than to the stone itself. Many of the strata appear to 
grow thinner in the western district, and some to disappear. See 
Report, pp. 150-8, Hall. This terrace bounds on the south all 
the beds of gypsum. p. 156. 
_ 8. Discovery of abundance of primary limestone on the north 
and the west shores of Lake Janet, is of great importance to that 
part of the state-—Report, p. 126, Emmons. 
The ‘#teel ore” of the Duane bed is wrought at once into cut- 
ting instruments of fine quality. Prof. Emmons does not state 
that the ore is steel, or that it is made into steel, but the fact that 
good edge tools are formed of it. p. 134, 135. 
