718 



F A R M E R S' REGISTER. 



[No. 12 



incr population and wide spreading improveraent, 

 which, at no remote day, it will be its happy lot to 

 realize. 



The coals of this region were examined at nu- 

 merous poinif! from the Potoniac to the nei<rh- 

 borhood of the Tennessee . line, and althouoh 

 much adi5itional investiijation is required to ascer- 

 tain the number and extent of the workable seams 

 of tiiis mineral, enou<vh has already been done to 

 satisfy nie, that they will, ere lonp", be re<);arded as 

 one of the most vuluable resources of this part ol' 

 the stxite. On a former occasion, 1 adverted to the 

 peculiar adaplaiion of some of ihese coals, in the 

 raw state, to the manvfacture of iron. The ana- 

 lysis of specimens from several localities, not visit- 

 ed before this season, indicates a comp.osition ad- 

 mindtly suited to this use. As examples of coals of 

 this description, I will reler to the three fbllowino;: 

 1st. The semi-biluminous coal, from Thorn's 

 creek and Strouble's run, in Montgomery county. 

 This consists of 



Carbon, 80.20 



Biiumen, &c. 13.60 



Ash, 6.20 



The combustible value or calorific power of 100 



parts of this coal, is equivalent to that of 92.5 parts 



of carbon. 



2nd. Semi-bituminous coal from near Lewis- 

 burn;. This consists of 



Carbon, 78.84 



Bitumen, &c. 14.16 



Ash, 7.00 



The calorific power of 100 parts of this coal, is 

 equivalent to 87 parts of carl)on. 



3d. Catawba semi-bituminous coal — Botetourt 

 county. This consists of 



Carbon, 78.50 



Bitumen, 16.50 



Ash, 5.00 



The calorific power of one hundred parts of this 

 •coal, is equivalent to that of 89.4 parts of carbon. 

 These and similar results obtained, with regard 

 to specimens from other localities in the Appala- 

 chian region, illustrate the fitness of these coals 

 for the manufacture of iron, a quality which must 

 be looked upon as giving them incalculable value, 

 when their immediate vicinity to inexhaustible 

 supplies of the ore is taken into the account. 



The vast advantages in point of economy result- 

 ing from the employment of the raw coals of 

 Wales, Scotland and France, in the smelting of 

 iron ores, though not unknown in this country, 

 appear as yet to be but imperfectly appreciated. 

 It may, therefore, be proper to remark, that 

 wherever, in Europe, coals of the proper character 

 can be obtained, they are preferred to every other 

 material used for this purpose. It is surely greatly 

 to l)e desired, that a trial were made of our semi- 

 bituminous coals in the smelting fiirnaces, since by 

 the result of a successful experiment of this kind, 

 if carefully jierlbrmed, a new injpetus would be 

 given to the manufacture of iron in Virginia. At 

 liie same time, the importance of applymg the hot 

 air blast, especially in connexion with tlu; use of 

 these raw coals, cannot be too lu'gcntly insisted 

 upon. The large mass of experience collected of 

 late years in Great Britain, as well as on the con- 

 tinent, conclusively demonstrating the great econo- 

 my of this process, and the very general disposi- 

 tion in Europe, to adopt it wherever practicable, 

 ought to furnitih a sulFioicat uiduccnient for its in- 



troduction here ; and since, as Berthier has shewn, 

 its advantages are augmented by connecting it 

 with the use of raw coals, an especial motive ia 

 presented for its adoption in the furnaces of the 

 region of which I am at present treating. Should 

 these improvements be brought into extensive 

 operation, as in process of time they most assured- 

 ly will, the prosperity of this vast and almost for- 

 gotten portion of the state, will outstrip any thing 

 that the imagination of its present inhabitants can 

 conceive. What surer foundation lor the perma- 

 nent wealth and power ol a community can "he 

 found, than the stores of coal and iron embosomed 

 m the rocky strata of its hills and valleys, and 

 what more efficacious stimulus to the mechanic 

 arts, to industry in general, and to the advance- 

 ment of all practical and profitable knowledge, 

 than the multifarious pursuits linked with the 

 manifactare of iron 1 



Of the limestones of the valley, numerous spe- 

 cimens have been analyzed, with the view of de- 

 termining the peculiar composition ol'each variety 

 — a point ol much importance in applying them 

 to agricultural or other uses. A sketch'of some of 

 the results of this investigation, which is still in 

 progress, may here be fitly introduced. I find that 

 the carbonate of magnesia, is a much more abun- 

 dant and common ingredient in these limestones, 

 than has hitherto been suspected. All the rocks 

 already tested as hydraulic cements, contain a 

 large proportion of this substance. I have become 

 convinced that a great nundier of the magnesian 

 limestones of the valley, possess the property^of 

 hardening under water, and I am at present en- 

 gaged in extensive experiments upon their quali- 

 ties in this respect. 



The deep blue, almost black limestone of a fine 

 grain, and rither smooth fracture, which is com- 

 monly burnt for lime, contains only a slight trace 

 of carbonate of magnesia. 



Its constituents are carbonate of lime, silica, 

 alumina, protoxide of iron, and a trace of carbo- 

 nate of magnesia, with a little organic matter. 



The amount of carbonate of lime usually pre- 

 sent in this valuable rock, may be seen fiom the 

 following table of the quantity contained in seven 

 specimens of this description, procured in different 

 parts of the valley. A great number of similar 

 results might be added to the table from my mi- 

 nutes, which include the composition of more than 

 thirty specimens, but the seven here given will 

 suffice. 



1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. A 



86.3 83.4 85.2 87.5 82.9 83.6 82.8 



It appears from this, that no great diversity ex- 

 ists in the qualify of this rock in different localities. 

 Taking 84 per cent, as the average (|uanlity of 

 carbonate of lime present in this variety, it is easily 

 inferied from the composition of tlie carbonate, 

 that each 100 lbs. of the rock, ought to yield 47 lbs. 

 of lime. 



The dark dan colored limestone of very close 

 grain and semi-conchoidal fracture, is even more 

 exempt than the preceding from carbonate of mag- 

 nesia, and is richer in carbonate of lime. The 

 specimens examined, gave an average of 88 per 

 cent. Accordingly, where it has been burnt, this 

 rock has yielded lime of great purity. 



The limestone of a dull greyish blue color and of .' 

 coarse texture, contains a notable portion of silica 



