mountain range is generally composed of granitic rock. The other 

 mountains, and in general the rest of the county, rest upon beds 

 of limestone or mica slate, which sometimes rise into high and abrupt 

 elevations, and are every where to be seen showing themselves above 

 the surface. Some parts of the county are rich in iron ore, espe- 

 cially the beautiful valley of Richmond, and the vicinity of the high- 

 lands designated as Mount Osceola. In many parts of the county, 

 as in Lanesboro', Williamstown, and Stockbridge, the soil presents 

 the appearance of rich vegetable mould resting upon a substratum of 

 a greenish color, strongly argillaceous, and retentive of moisture. 

 The same remarks apply to the soils in Cheshire, furnishing the rich- 

 est pasturage to be found in the state. These lands are well adapted 

 to grass, potatoes, and all esculent vegetables. Other lands in the 

 county are better suited to grain crops, being gravelly and abounding 

 in calcareous matter ; as the Pittsfield valley ; much of the land in 

 Great Barrington, west of the village ; and especially the town of 

 Egremont, and the lands lying towards the eastern side of Mount 

 Washington, on the great road from Egremont to Salisbury in Con- 

 necticut. 



It is a singular fact, not less surprising to the learned geological 

 surveyor than to others, that the soils in Berkshire, though resting 

 upon limestone, contain no larger proportion of the carbonate of lime 

 in a state of detrition, than many other soils in the state where lime- 

 stone is not found. It was supposed, that the continual abrasion or de- 

 composition of the stones by the natural operations constantly going 

 on, or by cultivation, would have imparted a large proportion of this 

 ingredient to the soils. Nor can its absence be accounted for on the 

 supposition, that it existed in much greater quantities formerly, 

 but has been exhausted by cultivation. Much of the land in the 

 county is comparatively new ; and, as the crops throughout the 

 county are generally consumed on the farms, it would seem as 

 though what had been taken up by them, which, after all, is a very 

 minute quantity, must have been again returned in the manures ap- 

 plied. Is it not more probable, that as the country is comparatively 

 new, and the vegetable mould consequently more abundant, the spe- 

 cimens analyzed may have been taken near the surface, and therefore- 

 exhibit a less quantity of the carbonate of lime than if the country 



