CLAYS. 331 



color. Its point of vitrification is apparent!}^ reached at about cone 3, and at 

 cone 5 it was well passed vitrification and had swelled considerably. It is 

 not as good a clay as that described from near Bermuda Hundred (Lab. 

 No. 1317) or Curie's Neck (Lab. No. 1314). 



The Fort Lee Area. 



At Fort Lee on the Chesapeake and Ohio Eailwa}', about 2 miles south 

 of Eichmond, there is a group of yards operated, respectively, by C. H. 

 Oliver, J. M. Davis, and the Fulton Brick Company. The general run of 

 the clays is not unlike those used around Eichmond, but none of the pits 

 show stony material, such as is found in some of the Eichmond clay banks. 



The most southern of this group of yards is that of C. H. Oliver, 

 which is located one mile west of Fort Lee. The clay is found immediately 

 underlying the surface and the bank shows 12 feet of clay, although the 

 total thickness of it is said to be 20 feet. Underlying it is a pit of gravel 

 and sand of unknown depth. For making bricks the run of the bank is used. 

 The general physical properties of this clay (No. 1302) are given on 

 page 225. 



Adjoining Mr. Oliver's yard on the west is that of J. M. Davis. The 

 clay used is similar to that employed at Oliver's pit described above. It is 

 molded by hand, dried on pallets, and burned in dutch kilns. A few hun- 

 dred feet up the track and on the north side of it are two yards operated 

 by the Fulton Brick Company. The brick yard adjoins the clay bank on 

 the west and the material is practically the same as that seen at the Davis 

 place, but the methods used for winning the clay are more improved. 



The dark-colored clays, similar to those described from south Chester, 

 outcrop at several points around the base of Government Hill, especially 

 along the Government road leadmg down from the top of the hill, but in 

 nearly every instance they are covered with too much overburden to permit 

 of their being profitably worked. 



Summary. — It may be well to make a comparative summary of the clays 

 found in the Eichmond area. Those found near the city, and those which 

 are worked at Manchester, Fulton, and near the reservoir, are to be classed 

 as good common-brick clays, which burn to a good color, and also make a 

 fair grade of front brick when repressed. They are too gritty and stony as 

 well as too irregular in their character to be used for drain tile, hollow 

 blocks, or red earthenware. The methods used for working them are usually 

 crude, and therefore the yards are of limited capacity. The manufacturers 



