292 QUARTERLY JOURNAL, 



land of ihe black or Marcellus shales, is worth from 35 - 40 dollars 

 per acre. Many value their lands much higher ; but the prices at 

 which they are now estimated, are those which they would sell for 

 at a forced sale. I am sensible I have not given you a very scientific 

 account of the geology of this county ; but to supply those parts in 

 which I am deficient, I will refer you to the geological map, which 

 is very generally distributed, and is the most accurate one that has 

 been published in this country. 



I assure you that I remain yours most sincerely. 



Letter IV. 



Camif.lus, September 23, 1845. 



My Dear Friend — What I have said of the geology of Onondaga 

 county, was designed as preparatory to some statements in regard 

 to its productions, an account of which I now propose to give you. 

 On referring to my former letter, you will perceive that I gave pre- 

 ference to a belt of country running through the county on the canal, 

 or that terrace which is entirely above the low marshy grounds 

 forming the swamps of Cicero. It passes, for example, through 

 Camillus, and a very good sample of it may be seen at Mr. Geddes's 

 farm. It is from one and a half to three miles wide, and is based 

 directly upon the green gypseous shales, or upon the Onondaga 

 salt group. It would be. exceedingly interesting to know in what re- 

 spects, if any, the wheat grown upon these shales differs from that I 

 upon the black shales : it would be difficult, probably, to make a 

 comparison between the products of these shales and the limestones 

 immediately above, inasmuch as the soil of the shales has been 

 transported south so as to intermix with that of the pure limestone ; 

 but the higher portion, at least of the black shales, is nearly all 

 derived from their own decomposition. There is a recognized differ- 

 ence, I believe, aside from any change which can be effected by 

 climate. To show the excellence of some of this land, I will state 

 what was told me by a person who may be relied upon. A certain 

 field has been under cultivation for the last thirty years, and has 

 produced a crop of wheat every alternate year, without a particle of 

 manure, and its yield has averaged twenty bushels to the acre. 



It is the soil of the gypseous shales, and not of the limestone, 

 which has been supposed to form the basis of the wheat soil of the 



