212 CALCAREOUS MANURED— APPENDIX. 



river bank at Evergreen, (the place of my birth, and of residence in early- 

 life,) of curiously shaped and beautiful crystals, which subsequently I learned 

 were seJenite or gypsum. The, like crystals, though much smaller in size, 

 I soon after found in different places at Coggins Point, my own farm and 

 then residence, /'nd, in making examinations for this purpose, I observed 

 that wherever any gypsum could be found, it was always in a peculiar 

 kind of earth, which, though varying much in appearance in different places 

 and at different elevations at the same place, yet possessed characteristic 

 marks by which it could be easily distinguished from all others. This 

 was the earth in question. For want of any known or more appropriate 

 name, I at first applied the term " gypseous earth" to this deposite; and 

 though I subsequently abandoned this name in (undeserved) deference 

 to scientific authority, and have used instead, in my later publications, the 

 name "green-sand earth," I now believe that my original term (in refer- 

 ence to the more general and universal manuring qualities) was the better 

 of the two, for reasons which will appear in the course of these remarks. 

 And besides that " green-sand earth" is inconvenient for its length, it is not 

 truly descriptive ; for the entire granules from which the peculiar character 

 of the earth is derived, are not green, but black superficially, or so appear; 

 and are not what is usually understood as sand, but in texture are like 

 fine and unctuous clay.- Still worse is it to term the whole mass, "green- 

 sand," as is usually done, when the pure " green-sand," even if that were 

 properly named, may not form one fourth or even one tenth of the whole 

 mass of earth. I therefore would prefer for the deposite, and shall use in- 

 differently, either my first designation of gypseous earth, or the name of 

 green earth, which latter is convenient, is sufficiently descriptive, and 

 moreover affirms nothing except as to the color, which is generally manifest 

 in the whole mass, and, if not, is certainly so in the sepsrated and mashed 

 granules, which distinguish the earth. 



As the lov/er part of the river bank is mostly exposed and kept bare by 

 the frequent washing by the waves driven by strong winds and high tides, 

 the bed of gypseous earth can be easily traced through nearly its whole 

 course along the rivei' side. As thus exposed to view, it has generally a 

 green color, most frequently intermixed and mottled with smaller streaks 

 and spots of bright yellow. The earth, as seen firm in the bank, and with 

 a smooth washed surface, might be supposed to be somevrhat of a clay; 

 but, on handling it, and breaking down a lump, its texture is more like 

 sand, as indeed a large proportion of the mass is silicious sand. A very 

 general distinguishing mark of this earth is its containing numerous hollow 

 impressions of eocene shells, of which the forms remain perfect, though 

 neither the shells themselves nor any portio:i of their calcareous substance 

 remain, as the earth in this part, and where most generally seen, contains 

 not a particle of carbonate of lime. Among the yellow spots there are also 

 other small spots and streaks of reddish brown colored clay, very pure, soft 

 and unctuous to the touch. The bright j^ellow clay is doubtless largely 

 impregnated with iron, or is a true yellow ochre. Though soft within the 

 bed, this yellow ochre hardens when exposed to the air on the outside, and 

 even when under water. Many of the yellow spots made by this ochre, 

 as seen on the surface of a smooth section of the bed, have a rough resem- 

 blance to the shape of sections of bivalve shells ; and these contrasted with 

 the general green ground, and, with the exception of the colors being dif- 

 ferent, give to such a section of the bank somewhat the appearance of the 

 beautiful black marbles used sometimes for mantel-pieces, in which the white 

 traces of what were formerly shells show throughout. In some places near 

 to and below the beach, the earth is seen much darker colored, indeed is 



