50 



Mountain, included, in addition to rocks somewhat similar to those of 

 the other two, great masses of serpentine, potstone and soapstone, and 

 was seen in Bolton, Brompton and Broughton. The extensive deposits 

 of Acton were supposed to belong to the upper or Sillery division. 



Of the many copper mines which were started some twenty -five 

 years ago, or when the copper boom was at its highest, very few are at 

 present in operation. Of many of those which long since suspended 

 operation, several causes for their discontinuance may be assigned. In 

 some cases their failure was doubtless largely caused by a lack of size in 

 the mineral veins ; in others this was due presumably to the poverty or 

 leanness of the ore as well, a conjunction which, taken in connection 

 with the depressed condition of the copper market, rendei-ed the profita- 

 ble extraction of the mineral impossible. The difficulty of producing 

 metallic copper under such adverse conditions was such that, although 

 extensive smelting works had been erected at large expense at several 

 points, these had of necessity to be abandoned, and have rapidly fallen 

 into decay. The oi-es from the great lodes of Capelton have for years 

 been shipped direct from the mines to the extensive acid works near 

 New York, where they were treated directly for the manufacture of 

 sulphuric acid, the residue being subseqiiently utilized for the extraction 

 of the metallic copper, and in this way, owing to the great extent of the 

 deposit and the facilities for mining and shipment, the mines at this 

 place have continued to be worked at a profit. Within the last two 

 years, sulphuric acid works have been started on the spot, by which 

 means the expense of transferring so great a bulk of raw material can 

 be avoided. Could this new industry be combined with that of the 

 production of phosphate from the Ottawa valley, and the manufacture 

 of artificial fertilizers established on the larger scale, still further benefit 

 should accrue ; since undoubtedly, in view of the present greatly impov- 

 erished condition of much of the wheat-producing lands of Ontario and 

 Quebec, the use of these fertilizers must of necessity shortly become 

 very considerable, or the profitable raising of wheat in these countries 

 must become a thing of the past. Tn character, the copper ores of the 

 townships may be classed under three heads, viz., the yellow sulphuret 

 or chalcopyrite, with which is very frequently found a large percentage 

 of iron pyrites; the vitreous or copper glance; and the variegated, other- 



