174 Agricultural Geology of Onondaga County. [April, 



The most important part of our subject remains to be consider- 

 ed, to wit: the soils of the county. Every one, however, who 

 has written upon soils finds it extremely difficult to subdivide 

 them into suitable classes. The ordinary divisions into argilla- 

 ceous, silicious and calcareous, and the different varieties of loam, 

 are of but little real value; and calcareous soils do not exist in 

 this state. The three varieties, the argillaceous, silicious or 

 sandy, and the mixture of the two, constituting loam, may be 

 found in every part of the state; but these varieties differ; the 

 characters of the clay as well as those of the sand differ much 

 at different places, and the same may be said of the loams; 

 there is every gradation which can be formed by mixture. In 

 consideration of these facts, we shall merely describe the soils 

 according to their geological position, and we believe that in the 

 formations of this county it will be useful: for instance, the soil 

 of the so called gypseous rocks or green shales, the soil of the 

 next platform of limestones, followed by that of the Marcellus 

 shales, and Hamilton group, are each of them distinct varieties. 

 The advantage of this division is, that it may be extended to 

 other parts of the state; and it has a more exact application to 

 other places which are situated upon the same belts of rocks east 

 and west of Onondaga, than any other divison which could be 

 adopted. By adopting this division, we are enabled also to keep 

 up the geographical distinctions; for we pass from below up- 

 wards, and from north to south; the soil of the red and green 

 shales is found in its perfection only upon those rocks, that is, 

 upon the second terrace above Lake Ontario, and are found occu- 

 pying the northern part of the county; next of the limestones, 

 and finally that of the shales, which carries us up to the highest 

 lands of the county. In a few instances we ascend at least eight 

 hundred feet above the Erie canaL 



The soil derived from the red shale occupies necessarily the 

 lowest position. It may be distinguished from that derived from 

 the next tier of rocks, by its deep red or deep brown color. It is 

 more adhesive, stiffer and argillaceous. In some places it is a 

 brick clay, the colors of which are not always so deep as the soil 



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