180 



FARMERS' REGISTER— GREEN SAND FORMATION. 



that the green earid often exists in considerable 

 quantities in and above our ordinaiy marl beds, 

 wliich is I think now sufficiently established, may 

 furnish no unimporiant aid in the improvement oi^ 

 our lands, by leading to a more varied and judi- 

 cio'is adaptation in the application of our mai)ui'e9. 

 Independently of the existence of the green 

 sand in a scattered state in our calcareous strata, 

 there are otlier and stronger reasons for believing 

 that a deposite similar to that in Ncsv Jersey wijl 

 be found in the appropriate region. In a geologi- 

 cal arrangement of our various formations, the 

 marl beds of Eastern Virginia and Carolina, as 

 well as those of ISIarjiandj'belong to a. later pe- 

 riod in the physical history of our country, than 

 the green sand formation of New Jersey — the 

 former being rcferred to the tertiary — and the 

 latter to the secondary epoch of geologists. Now 

 this tertiary deposite extends- into New Jersey, 

 and is found in many places in the latter state 

 nearly contiguous to the green sand. Moreover, 

 indications of the Nev/ Jersey formation have been 

 found in Maryland — and such is the general regu- 

 larity with which the different geological deposites 

 arc arranged, that we may fairly infer the exis- 

 tence in Eastern Virginia of the green sand, or 

 eome deposite equivalent in a geological point of 

 view — though at the same time it by no means 

 follows that the green sand,- if actually found, 

 would be sufficiently near the surface to render it 

 extensively available as a manure. The object 

 however is of such magnitude, as to justify a very 

 diligent examination, and I am therefore desirous 

 of enlisting in this research all those readers of 

 the Register who reside in the region which has 

 been alluded to before. As however the success 

 of this investigation will be greatly proinoted by 

 an acquaintance with the indications by which the 

 green sand, or its geological equivalents are to be 

 recognised, and some knowledge of the properties 

 and constitution of the substance itself, I shall 

 here give a brief account of the New Jersey for- 

 mation which I visited, together with the re- 

 sult of several chemical analysis of the sand care- 

 fully executed by myself and others: and further 

 to interest your readers in this important inquiry, 

 I shall add a statement of such facts bearing upon 

 the application and agency of the marl, as I was 

 enabled to collect during my visit to the beautiful 

 region which it has so largely contributed to fer- 

 tilize and adorn. 



The New Jersey green sand is apparently iden- 

 tical with that series of deposites recognised in 

 Europe by the name of the green sand formation, 

 characterised by a predominance of minute green 

 particles in many of its strata. In Europe these 

 strata are generally found alternating with beds of 

 chalk; but in this country no chalk is found, unless 

 in the region west of the Mississippi. The fbs- 

 eils embedded in the green sand on both sides of 

 the Atlantic, are however so strictly alike, that the 

 geological equivalence of the American and Eu- 

 ropean beds can scarcely admit of question; and 

 is therefore generally conceded as an established 

 point. It is relevant here to remark that in tracing 

 cotemporaneous or equivalent geological forma- 

 tions in different regions, geologists are accustom- 

 ed to rely almost exclusively upon the fossils, 

 whether shells, bones, or vegetable remains, which 

 the strata may contain — a procedure to which they 

 have been led by the whole tenor of modem de- 



vetopements in geology. Now with reference to. 

 the New Jersey formation, though it would be 

 impossible without numerous drawings, .and much 

 descriptive iilatter, uninteresting to general rea- 

 ders, to convey a knowledge of even the principal 

 shells and other fossils existing in the green sand, 

 some account of.a few of these fossils may possi- 

 bly be useful in the inquiries which I trilst many 

 of your readers will h^ prompted to undertake. 



1st. Lignite, or- carbonized wood, often asso- 

 ciated with iron pyi-ites of a bright yellow lustre, 

 frequently occurs in the beds overiying the green 

 sand' formation, though it sometimes occurs ia 

 other situations. 



2nd. Amber is often found in a similar position, 

 as was the case at the Delaware and Chesapeake 

 Canal. 



, 3d. B'cUmnites — a fossil of a yellow or brown 

 color, in shape somewhat like a cigar, but rather 

 thicker — ^\-ery brittle, and usually found- broken 

 transversely so as to exhibit- its tubular character 

 within. 



4th. y-Immonifes — a fossil ]oresenting the appear- 

 ance of a snake coiled up in a flat coil, and fre- 

 quently large and ponderous. . 



5th. The Ecliinvs, or Sea Urchin-^sometimes 

 globular, at other times much flattened, having 

 numerous little warty prominences, and minute 

 perforations symmetrically arranged- on its surtuce, 

 and Avhen entire, occasionally furnished with 

 spines or prickles. 



6th. Gryphaa — a shell having one valve very 

 deep and convex, and the other flat. It somewhat 

 resembles the small shell (chama) very abundant- 

 ly found in our marl beds. This, latter \^ smaller 

 — has a rougher exterior, and has two muscular 

 impressions in each valve — whereas the Gryphaea 

 has but one. 



7th. JSxngyra — a shell like the former, with one 

 convex and one flat valve — but a great deal 

 rougher and more irregular in aspect, and of large 

 dimensions. 

 8th. The Falcated Oyster — a beautiful shell about 

 one and a half or two inches in length and bent 

 like a Turkish scimetar. 



These rude dcscri])tions, which have no preten- 

 sions to scientific accuracy, are designed to draw 

 attention to such fossils as may be brought to light 

 in the region in which the m-een sand may be ex- 

 pected to occur — and in this point of view may 

 prove of real value in examining for that deposite. 

 Of course a scientific inspection of the fossils 

 would be necessary to establish their identity, but 

 this can readily be procured by transmitting them 

 to the Academy of Sciences in Philadelphia, or 

 by sending them to VVdliam and Mary, where 

 they Avould be carefully examined and compared 

 with the New Jersey fossils as collected and de- 

 scribed. Indeed there is reason to believe that 

 some of the characteristic fossils have already been 

 found in Eastern Virginia. A bed of Lignite has 

 been lately discovered on the Rappahannock, a 

 few miles below Fredericksburg, the very point at 

 which it might be expected to appear, and from 

 information recently received, I am disposed to be- 

 lieve that Belemnites may be found near the mouth 

 of Potomac Creek. It has been said aleo that the 

 Gryphaea has been found, but I have not heard in 

 what vicinity. These facts should furnish an ad- 

 ditional Gtimulua to inquiry, and literally no stone 



