Geology of Massachusetts. 9 
- The new red sandstone is said to be associated with some of the 
most fertile land in England ; especially that variety of the rock de- 
nominated red marle. It is distinguished for the excellence of its 
wheat, barley, beans and cider. The sand resulting from the de- 
composition of the coarser varieties of the rock, produces most of the 
rye grown in England. In that country, however, this formation con- 
tains not a little limestone, either in beds, or impregnating the sand- 
stone. Butin Massachusetts, the lime is almost entirely wanting : and 
hence probably it affords a soil inferior to that produced by the English 
rock. Still, with us its soil is of a superior quality. Its poorer varie- 
ties are excellent for rye. It is also peculiarly well adapted for fruit. 
The grass grown upon it is of a superior quality ; and it affords ex- 
cellent pasture. ‘The establishment of the Shakers in Enfield, Ct., 
exhibits a favorable example of the productiveness of this soil, when 
under a good cultivation. The black, white, and red oaks, with pig- 
nut hickory, chesnut, and soft maple, (cer rubrum,) are the forest 
trees most naturally produced upon this soil. 
Argillaceous and Flinty Slate and Graywacke. 
The -flinty slate is a variety of the argillaceous or roofing slate, 
which has been indurated, and it occurs only in small quantity at Na- 
hant. The argillaceous slate in the vicinity of Boston, is intimately 
connected with the graywacke, and probably ought to be considered 
only as a variety of that rock. It is considerably different from the 
argillaceous slate of Worcester, Franklin and Berkshire counties. 
Every variety, however, furnishes by decomposition, a dark colored 
soil, which, although somewhat apt to be cold, is capable of being 
made very fertile. ‘The central parts of Quincy, exhibit a favora- 
ble example of the soil lying above this rock. The range in Wor- 
cester county, is almost every where overspread with diluvium, and 
m Franklin and Berkshire, this rock is so limited in extent, as not 
very strikingly to develop the peculiarities of its superimcumbent 
soil. Professor Dewey, however, says, that in Berkshire “the argil- 
laceous district is more fertile and productive than any other portion 
of the section, except the alluvial.” 
Numerous varieties of rock, both in color and composition, are as- 
sociated under the term graywacke: from the fine dark colored shale. 
or slate, containing the anthracite coal of Rhode Island, to the coarse 
conglomerate, or plum pudding stone, of Roxbury, Dorchester, Digh- 
ton, Somerset, and Swansey. Most of these varieties, however, appear 
Vou. XXII.—No. 1. 2D 
