272 GEOLOGY OF THE TmRD DISTRICT. 



gypseous hills rise at the south upon the red shale, with their surface more or less rounded, 

 and extend to the foot of the Limestone or Helderberg range. The edge of the range shows 

 an elevation of over one hundred feet above the gypseous rocks. The surface rises to the 

 south by every additional rock, the whole of the rocks of the county going from Lake Oneida 

 south, and showing tlie order of their superposition ; the lowest being at the lake, the highest 

 at the south of the county, and the intermediate ones occupying the intervening space. 



Between the ridge and the lake, the Clinton group, the Niagara group and the Onondaga 

 salt group occur, the first being the lowest mass of the county. It borders the lake, with the 

 exception probably of a small part to the west of Joscelin's corners, where the second group 

 by a prolonged line would appear. It shows the red fossiliferous iron ore, the most important 

 product of the group, in two places, and in quantity ; the ore being found on Donnelly's farm 

 at the east end of Lenox, and at Joscelin's corners, of which suflScient detail was given under 

 the head of the group. There are indications of the same ore at Munger's post-office on the 

 lake shore, and also at Robert Bushnell's. At this latter place, there is the hard sandstone of 

 the group, in part calcareous and encrinal, and suitable for building purposes. 



To the south, the Lockport group extends east and west, emd disappears at its south side 

 under the Cowasolon swamp. It is composed of blackish colored limestone, usually with 

 a highly crystalline grain resembling fine sand, and bluish colored shaly slate. It appears 

 generally as a low ridge between the lake and the swamp, often covered with gravel. The 

 limestone shows itself at the surface on the farms of Joseph Clark and Enos Hubard in Sul- 

 livan, and Capt. Hood and Mr. Adams in Lenox, etc. No fossils were noticed in it. It makes 

 a strong lime, but is of a dark color, owing to iron and manganese. It is the highest rock as 

 to level of all that section, and appears to have escaped destruction by its hardness. 



Between the gypseous hills and the lake, there appear to be a series of low ridges, sandy, 

 gravelly and loamy, whose course is somewhat east and west, or parallel with the lake. Be- 

 tween those ridges, the soil is more or less clayey, usually yellowish, and forming a con- 

 siderable portion of the swampy surface of that section of the county. The clay, from its 

 color, appears to have been derived firom the shale of the Clinton group. 



Cowasolon swamp forms a part of the same space : it occupies an area of about ten thou- 

 sand acres, nearly the whole of which, it appears, can be drained. Before any drainage was 

 commenced, it was covered with muck or peat, under which lake marl appears in all places 

 examined. An attempt was made to drain the swamp, by cutting a ditch to the lake. The 

 ditch was fourteen feet deep, and carried off a large portion of the water, and uncovered the 

 marl to great extent, which was very pure and white, strongly contrasting with the muck. 

 Though no particular examination was made, it was evident from the velocity of the water at 

 the drain, that it could be deepened. 



Were a good system of drainage established, a large body of land could be brought under 

 cultivation, which now lies worse than useless, along the low level, extending from Rome to 

 the fourth district. To the acquisition of good land would be added that of a plentiful supply 

 of lake marl, which, if properly hardened by drying, could be prepared for chalk, whiting 

 and paris white, and for lime and agricultural purposes ; to say nothing of the muck, of which 



