13 



the peculiar rock, generally called imp roc/:, that constitutes the 

 precipitous ridges of iioljoke and Tom. Secondary rocks are of 

 immense extent west of the Hudson and North West of the Alle- 

 ghanies, extending even to the Kockj Mountains. 



The third class of rocks, or rather of soils, is called the terti- 

 ar}' ; because they lie above the secondary, and were therefore 

 subsequently formed. This class consists of regular layers, or 

 beds, of sand, clay and gravel. The extensive sandy plains, on 

 both ?iiles ol" the Connecticut, principally south of this village, are 

 a good example ot thi.^ class. Wherever the sand is worn away 

 to a considerable depth, the clay lying underneath, is made visi- 

 ble. All that extensive level country south of New York, along 

 the sea-coast, widening as you advance, and embracing a large 

 part of the southernsStates, consists chiefly of the tertiary class 

 of soils. 



The fourth and last class of rocks, or soils, is the alluvial. 

 This consists of all varieties of soil, mingled and spread over low 

 grounds by the agepcy of water. This is the richest and most 

 productive of all soils; and our own Connecticut and its tributa- 

 ries, particularly the Deerfield, the W'estfield and the Farming- 

 ton, exhibit many interesting tracts of this description along their 

 margins. They are scattered too, all over our country ; and the 

 world does not furnish a nobler example than is seen along the 

 Missis!?ij'pi. 



From this sketch, Gentlemen, it appears that the region of 

 country embraced by this society, contains almost every variety 

 of rock, and therefore a correspondent variety of soil. And since 

 different vegetables require for their perfect developement, dif- 

 ferent soils;* this circumstance must be regarded as highly pro- 

 pitious to the prosecution of experiments. Do you enquire for 



* For instance : whoever compares the plants, shrubs and trees, growing 

 ©n Hulyoke, or Tom, which consist off rfl/? rocks, with those found on the 

 primary mountains of equal height in the vicinity, will find many on the tor- 

 mer, that do not grow at all, or very rarely, upon the latter. Indeed, he 

 will find as much differem-e in the vegetables, as he would, in travelling south- 

 ward through several degrees of latitude A diversity nearly as great will be 

 found on compuringthe plants of Mount Toby, in Sunderland, or of Sugar Loaf 

 and of the range extending northward from this through Deerfield and Green- 

 field, known by the names of" the Ledges" and "Rocky Mountain," with the 

 plants of the primary mountains on the east or west a few flfiilcs distant, 



