24 Geology of Massachusetts. 
is green and the quartz white, and the rock admits of a polish. 
Sometime the talc almost disappears ; and then we have a white base 
with black crystals imbedded. In short, I feel satisfied that this rock 
would form a beautiful ornamental stone, if wrought into tables, urns, 
chimney pieces, &c. &c. But of this others can judge from the 
specimens which I shall place in the collection already referred to. 
Large blocks of it may be obtained, which would be very firm 
throughout. 
Limestone. 
Next to our granite and gneiss, this is the most valuable rock in 
the State. Little advantage is derived from it, however, by any part 
of the State except Berkshire. Small beds of it do, indeed, exist 
in the eastern part of the State; but they rarely furnish blocks suf- 
ficiently large and sound, to be wrought into marble. And on ac- 
count of the high price of wood in the vicinity of Boston, it cannot 
be burnt into quick lime, so as to be afforded at a less price than 
the lime brought from Maine. In many places, however, it continues 
still tobe burnt. Judging from the appearance of the quarries, I 
should suppose that Bolton furnishes a greater quantity of lime at 
present, than any other locality. The stone here is mostly crystal- 
line, and white, although it is apt to be much mixed, as it is at every 
other locality in the eastern part of the State, with a variety of minerals, 
that much injure it for lime. Beds of this limestone occur at New- 
bury, Bolton, Boxborough, Acton, Littleton, Carlisle, Chelmsford, and 
Stoneham. That in Stoneham is peculiarly fine; and could large 
blocks of it be obtained, free from fissures and foreign minerals, it 
would undoubtedly answer well for statuary. When there shall be 
a greater demand for a stone of this description, perhaps a farther 
exploration will bring to light, at this quarry, many larger and sound- 
er pieces. 
On the south of Boston, at Walpole, is a bed of limestone of a 
gray color and probably somewhat impure. It would, however, 
make good lime; and, indeed, it was burnt in considerable quantity 
some years ago. But until the lime from Maine and Rhode Island, 
shall sell at a higher price, this cannot be profitably prepared. It 
must be gratifying, however, to the inhabitants of the eastern section 
of the State, to know that such abundant sources of this valuable 
poe = within their reach, should their present means of supply be 
