72 Remarks on the Geology of Maine. 



I have found strong diluvial marks extending across the whole 

 state of Maine, and the transported boulders are always traced to 

 their origin in the direction of the furrows worn on the rocks. 

 There was never a better country than Maine, in which to settle 

 this important question, for there are wide belts of rocks of dif- 

 ferent kinds, dividing the state into distinct geological sections. 

 I cannot take time now to enter into details, but will observe, 

 that the direction of the diluvial current in Maine, is proved to 

 have been from N. 10 to N. 20° W. to S. 10 to 20° E. or the 

 mean will be N. 15° W. to S. 15° E. This too is the uniform 

 direction of those diluvial accumulations called "horsebacks," 

 which abound in the state, and form long ridges like rail road 

 embankments, frequently extending for many miles. 



While engaged in the survey of the Aroostook river, I discov- 

 ered another powerful bed of rich red hematite iron ore, thirty-six 

 feet wide, running through a thickly wooded country, where it 

 may be advantageously wrought by means of charcoal, into the 

 most valuable kinds of iron and steel. I have also discovered 

 several valuable beds of magnetic iron ore, which will doubtless 

 be wrought so soon as their value is known to the people inter- 

 ested. Limestone, marble of great beauty, granite, mica slate, 

 and other valuable quarry stones abound. 



While exploring the soils of York and Oxford counties, I was 

 surprised to find, that, although the country appeared to be com- 

 posed wholly of granite and gneiss rocks, the soil was wonder- 

 fully rich and produced admirable crops of wheat. This was not 

 to be expected from a purely granite soil, and on more minute ex- 

 amination, I found that the gneiss on the sides of most of the 

 granite mountains alternated with thin beds of limestone, from an 

 inch to a foot in thickness, and resembled so closely the gneiss in 

 color as to have at first escaped my observation. This at once 

 accounts for the fertility of the soil, for it is made up of decompo- 

 sed gneiss and limestone as well as granite rocks, and hence is 

 well adapted to the cultivation of wheat. 



The soils around the Kennebunk river are generally impreg- 

 nated with sulphate of iron from pyrites, and require liming to 

 amend them and render them fertile. • But little attention has 

 been paid to the nature of soils by our farmers, and this is the 

 reason why they do not succeed, better in amending them. 



