MADISON COUNTY. 273 



each year's experience is enhancing the value as a manure, its greatest benefit accruing when 

 carted and spread in the farm yard. It compensates the farmer if used without any prepara- 

 tion, but still better when mixed with the lake marl, which, in the low swampy regions north 

 of the gjrpsum hill, it so frequently covers. 



South of the swamp is the Vlie or Natural meadow, the extent of which I did not ascer- 

 tam. The growth of timber diminishes going to it, ending in scrubby tamarisk, dead trees 

 of the same being numerous; after which. are ferns, other weeds, some grass, etc. The 

 soil of the vlie is muck, or peat very pure. A ditch cut by the side of the road leading to 

 It from Chittenango, shows vertical stumps three feet below the surface, and then a small 

 growth near the surface ; so that it would appear that two forests have existed there. A 

 Uttle marl appears amongst the muck. The road showed, where some oats and timothy seed 

 had been scattered, the favorableness of the soil for vegetation. 



The swamp occupies a depression between the Lockport group and the Onondaga salt 

 group, concealing the junction of the two throughout the county. To the south of the swamp 

 is the red shale, the canal passing through the surface which it covers, and the shale extending 

 a httle to the south of the turnpike from the east end of the county to near Chittenango vil- 

 lage. It shows, in the low grounds to the north of Chittenango, some of the hght-colored 

 calcareous portions in layers ; but the greatest exposition of alternate colored layers is in the 

 hills to the east of the county, and south of the turnpike ; another is at Canaseraga creek, 

 and a third at Chittenango hill. 



Near Canastota, there is a salt spring in the marsh on the land of Captain Clark, about 

 thirty yards north of the canal. A boring was here made of one hundred and ninety feet in 

 red shale, and six feet in hard green rock. This latter depth took several days to perforate ; at 

 the end of which time, it was said that a portion of the auger broke, and could not be extracted. 

 When commenced, the strength of the water was 2^° by the instrument used, and increased 

 to 9^. Having been abandoned, it is reasonable to suppose that there was no encouragement 

 for a further prosecution of the work, especially when so near to known sources of great 

 strength as at Syracuse, &c. 



The hill rises to the south about eighty feet at the village of Lenox, showing green and 

 dove-colored shale and slate ; to the south of which, there is a further rise of near one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet, showing alternations of red and green, etc. to the top. 



The value and interest of the group is in that portion which contains the gypseous masses ; 

 and these, in every instance in the range of the group, are above the point where all red shale 

 ceases, and consequently to the south of the turnpike road. The greatest breadth of the 

 range containing gypsum is at the east end of the county ; diminishing greatly to the west 

 end. It is exposed in many places on the east branch of the Cowasolon creek, on the west 

 branch near Clockville, and along the road from that village towards Chittenango ; the details 

 of which were given in the group, and in the Report of 1839. 



The vermicular or porous rock, is well exposed in the high hill at the east end of the county ; 

 in the road which leads from the fiimace towards Clockville ; and at the quarries near the 

 Geol. 3d Dist. 35 



