450 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



In the drift towards the south in this pit the coal 

 is compleiely cut off by an east and west dike. 

 A number "of these diltes are seen crossing the 

 river, and at Baitersea, near Petersburg, a re- 

 markable one occwre, composed of globular basalt 

 and wacke. These dikes can frequently be 

 traced on the surface. This is the case with the 

 dike in Johnson and JVloody's pits ; so thai much 

 useless labor and expense way be spared by a 

 careful examination of the surface, at the out-crop, 

 previous to the location of a slialt. It is [irobable 

 that the greatest thickness ol the stratum ol coal 

 will be Ibund a little to the south of this pit. 



The Appomattox Company, we were inform- 

 ed, liave commenced a reexamination of the land 

 near Rowletl's abandoned pits. It is to be hoped 

 that the proprietors keep accurate surveys of 

 the workings; the result of every exploration 

 should also be carefully recorded, and deposited 

 together with the survey for safe keeping, as 

 valuable information lor the benefit of posterity. 

 For want of such precautions, in the early mining 

 operations of England, subsequent enterprise has 

 suffered extensive and frequently ruinous losses. 

 It has often happened, that alter the cost of sinking 

 shafts, draining, &c., had been incurred, the par- 

 ties concerned have had the moriificaiion to 

 find that the coal had already been worked and 

 exhausted, a fact o( which the suifiace presented 

 no evidence. 



The quantity of coal, if any left in, should also 

 be noted ; for although a seam of 2 leet may not 

 at present pay the cost of working, yei the lime 

 may not be far distant when even this thickness 

 would be considered valuable. Many of the 

 mines worked in the coal districts of England do 

 not exceed 2 leet in thickness. Of the increasing 

 value of ihis deposite no doubt can be entertained. 

 At present the small coal which amounts to one- 

 fourth of the quantiiy raised, is allowed to ac- 

 cumulate at the pits, the cost of transporiation 

 being too great to admit of its removal. In coun- 

 tries°where fuel is scarce, small coal is used ex- 

 tensively by those wlio cannot afford better. It is 

 mixed wiih earthy and other matter, made into a 

 paste, which is rolled into balls, and in this way 

 makes a tolerably good fire. This small coal 

 when converted into coke is a good eubsiituie 

 for anthracite or charcoal. Ttie bulk of the coal 

 is much increased by the operation of coking, 

 and could be furnished at a much cheaper rate. 

 The process of coking is neither difficult nor ex- 

 pensive—a large brick oven being all the appara- 

 tus required. The oven should be about 8 l'ee\ 

 square, having an opening in the top, and one in 

 front, furnished with an iron door througii which 

 the coal is introduced. The coal once ignited, 

 combustion is allowed to proceed slowly, until all 

 the bituminous matter ie consumed. The coke 

 ia then broken, withdrawn from the oven by 

 means of strong iron rakes, and exiinguished. 

 The heap of small coal at one of the yards at the 

 basin, would furnish convenient material for such 

 an experiment. 



From the pits to the Appomattox, a distance of 

 5 miles, the coal is hauled in wagons over a road 

 %r from level. It is then brought down the river 

 20 miles to Petersburg, in boats carrying about 

 200 bushels. The cost of transportation amount- 

 ing to 8^ cents a bushel. In Petersburg the coal 

 ie delivered to purchasers at the yard at 20 cents 

 a bushel. 



With a view to lessen the cost of transportation 

 a survey for a rail-road along Winterpock creek, 

 was made some time ago. Besides shortening 

 the distance, this road would cut off one of the 

 worst points in the navigation of the river, be- 

 tween Petersburg and the coal pit landing. 



The road should not be an expensive one, as 

 little grading would be required. This improve- 

 ment will be made when the value ofthe Appomat- 

 tox coaldeposite is properly appreciated by this por- 

 tion of Virginia. A email amount appropriated to 

 the improvement ofthe Appoma'tox would be of in- 

 calculable benefit to the coal and other trade ofthe 

 river. The boats suited to the naviijaiion of the 

 river in its present state require 3 men (or the 

 space of 2 days to bring down 200 bushels of coal. 

 Shule navigation being the cheapest mode of 

 improving a river, answers very well when time 

 and labor are of little value, but where competi- 

 tion of any sort is to be me', it must be abandon- 

 ed. Dams and locks — still water navigation — 

 can alone satisfy thedemands of commerce, on any 

 river claiming the name of navigable, at the pre- 

 sent day. 



With ihehe improvements, and a connexion 

 between the basin, the river and the rail-roads, 

 the Appomattox coal would no longer be con- 

 fined to home consiintption. 



We returned from this excursion with a higher 

 estimate than we had already formed of the 

 many advantages enjoyed by the town of Peters' 

 burg: an inexhaustible deposite of coal, almost 

 on the very banks of a navigable stream ; build- 

 ing materials in abundance and ol' the very best 

 quality ; water power to any extent ; the means 

 of increasing the /ertiliy ofthe soil a hundred fold, 

 presented in the rich deposiies of marl by which 

 Peterstiurg is almost literally surrounded; a naviga- 

 ble river to her very doors, and rail- roads in every 

 direction, ready to distribute the products of the 

 industry and enterprise oi her ciiizens. 



M. TUOMEY. 



MARSHY SOILS. 



From liooUi's Geological Survey of Delaware. 

 The richneo-3 of the marsh lands in the west- 

 ern and southern pans of Kent and on the ridge 

 in Sussex has been a theme of admiration to all 

 who have visited them. They are situated on 

 the branches ol' the several streams, which hav- 

 ing their sources in Delaware usually flow towards 

 the Chesa()eake, and which originating from rains 

 and springs in the tnidst of extensive lorests on a 

 broad and very flat surface, with an argillaceous 

 substratum impervious to water, and becoming 

 clofjged and dammed up by fallen trees, leaves 

 and brushwood, naiurally expand into broad 

 basins, termed marshes. Tlie luxuriant growth 

 of trees, shrubs, and smaller plants, and their 

 constant dilapidation and decay, in the shallow 

 waters of the sluggish streams during the lapse 

 of ages has generated a black vegetable mould, 

 averaging three feel in depth, being rarely less 

 than six inches and sometimes exceeding six feet, 

 composed throughout of the same materiafs. It 

 was not until the close of the past or within the 

 present century that effectual means were re- 

 sorted to lor recovering this land from almost con- 

 stant inundation, since which time nearly all the- 



