230 GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 



supposed to be twenty feet, but the extent not over two acres : Again on the land of Mr. Clark, 

 near Cooperstown, covering an area of five or six acres. All through the southern valleys, it 

 exists in the swampy grounds, but they are but small patches when compared with the 

 deposits along the great level. 



The most interesting deposit of peat noticed, is to the east of the tunnel near Syracuse, 

 in the deep grading of the railroad. The ditch by the roadside shows a deposit of clay of a. 

 dark dove-color ; upon which is muck or peat, showing a range of stumps and roots, chiefly 

 of tamarisk or balsam ; some of the stumps are eighteen inches in diameter, and the whole 

 is covered with lake marl. On the top of the marl, there is another deposit of muck, and 

 tamarisk stumps, etc. ; and then a second deposit of marl, the top of which forms the pre- 

 sent swampy surface ; making three successive growths of vegetation above the clay, sepa- 

 rated by two beds of calcareous marl. 



There is a strong odor of sulphuretted hydrogen along that ssction, which is very offen- 

 sive at times, and is unusual for such deposits, and merits inv»stigation ; showing clearly 

 that sulphuric acid has been decomposed, and also water : the farmer was probably derived 

 froih the gypseous waters of the region. This fact throws light upon the origin of sulphuret 

 of iron, so universally associated with coal ; and of carbonate of iron also, which too is an 

 associate, but not so uniform a one : they may thus be explained, 



When soil, vegetable matter and water exist together, and ar is excluded, it is evident 

 from the deposits of iron ore which take place jn low grounds, that this mineral is rendered 

 soluble in water, and becomes insoluble by the action of the air, and precipitates. Now if 

 gypseous water be present, or any sulphate, its acid will be deccmposed, and its sulphur will 

 unite with the iron and form pyrites. Where iron is in excess, the carbonate of iron will be 

 formed by the union of the oxygen of the acid and the carbon of the vegetable matter. The 

 latter may also be, and no doubt is formed, by the mixture of vegetable matter, water, and 

 oxide of iron of such deposits ; air being excluded, and the yegetable matter being in de- 

 composition. / 



These deposits of muck or peat show clearly how the vegetable matter which forms coal 

 beds was accumulated ; and when coal beds alternate with limestone, as they do in some 

 countries, how such alternations may have been produced. Were such deposits suddenly 

 depressed and subjected to great pressure, the heat which wculd result, and which could not 

 escape but slowly, would give a homogeneous character to the vegetable matter ; and were the 

 marl sufficiently moist, it would, without igneous action, finally exhibit a crystalline character. 



The constant association in all coal formations of beds of shale, which were but deposits 

 of mud, and what is termed ^re clay, both of which are common associates of all coal beds, 

 is precisely in accordance with the common fact with regard to peat : both having an imperme- 

 able floor, and water being required for a continuous vegetation, making perfect the analogy 

 between the two deposits as to origin. 



Connected with peat, is the production of acid, probably sulphuric, which is found to the 

 north of Cherry-Valley at Mr. Schism's. Below his sulphur spring, are two small mounds 



