PIKE COUNTY. 41 



of the creek below the springs. They are about a hundred yards apart, and the 

 upper one is called the Sulphur Spring, the middle one the Magnesian, and the 

 lower the Iron Spring. The middle one is the most used, and affords the larg- 

 est supply of water. They preserve a nearly equal temperature throughout the 

 year, of about 48 to 50 Fahrenheit. An analysis of the waters of these 

 springs, by Mr. Henry Engelmann, as reported to the proprietors, Messrs. 

 Watson & Divelbiss, gave the following amount of mineral matter, in grains, 

 to each gallon of water : 



No. 1, or No. 2, or No. 3, or 



middle spring. upper spring. lower spring. 



Bi-carbonate of lime 15.89 19.75 19.66 



Bi-carbonate of magnesia 17.01 14.81 10.49 



Bi-carbonate of iron 0.55 0.60 0.27 



Silicate of alumina 0.00 0.00 0.27 



Silicate of potassa and soda 2.64 2.28 3.45 



Silicate of sodium 0.12 0.38 0.58 



Sulphate of soda 0.44 1.10 1.49 



Carbonate of potassa 1.59 1.45 1.26 



38.24 40.37 37.47 



These Springs are situated in a beautiful valley, surrounded by wooded hills, 

 and afford a pleasant retreat for the invalid, and those desiring a temporary 

 respite from the dust and turmoils of city life. They probably derive their 

 mineral ingredients from the geodiferous shales of the Keokuk group, and a 

 similar spring issues from about the same horizon at Warsaw, in Hancock 

 county. 



Soil and Timber. The greater portion of the uplands in this county, were 

 originally covered with a heavy growth of excellent timber, but there are a few 

 small prairies, seldom more than two or three miles in width, interspersed over 

 its surface, and occupying the most level portions of its area. The surface of 

 the county is generally rolling, and in the vicinity of the streams, becomes quite 

 broken and hilly. The timber consists of white, red, and black oak, pig-nut 

 and shell-bark hickory, black walnut, elm, linden, wild cherry, honey locust, 

 sugar maple, sassafras, etc. The soil on the prairies and more level timbered 

 lands, is a dark, chocolate colored clay loam, very productive, and yields annu- 

 ally large crops of grass, and all the cereals adapted to the climate. On the 

 more broken lands along the streams, the soil is lighter colored, and less pro- 

 ductive, but well adapted to the growth of wheat, clover, and especially of 

 fruit. The freshly cleared timbered lands are well adapted to the growth of 

 tobacco, but it may be seriously questioned whether the best interests of the 

 human race are promoted by its cultivation. On the river bluffs, and the regies 

 immediately adjacent thereto, where the Loess is the prevailing formaticfi , the 

 soil is more sandy and drains freely, and is well adapted to the cultivation df , 

 6 



