OF ARKANSAS. 4 J 



dergrowth of spice and large grape vines. These bottoms are, however, 

 of limited extent. Secondly, the black-oak, hickory, large white-oak, and 

 dogwood upland. Thirdly, the hazlenut and sumach thickets. 



The soil of some of the hill-sides, on the slopes of the cavernous lime- 

 stone is often remarkably rich, and could be cultivated to great advantage, 

 where not too abrupt and not too much encumbered with rock. 



I examined a cave situated near the top of a ridge composed of the 

 cavernous limestone, and reposing on the white sandstone, towards the 

 base of the ridges. This cave is situated between Peter and Samuel 

 Mosers farms, in the eastern part of Independence county. The entrance 

 to this cave is very low, so that it is difficult to enter. It is only of limited 

 extent and has but little disintegrated earth distributed through it. What 

 little there is, is near the entrance to the cave. 



A sample of this earth was collected for chemical analysis, and will be 

 reported on when this latter is completed. 



A characteristic soil of the cavernous limestone formation, was also col- 

 lected for chemical analysis, from south-east half of section 25, town- 

 ship 15 north, range 8 west, from Peter Moser's farm, on the waters of 

 Lafferty creek, in Independence county. The growth of timber on this 

 land is hickory, post-oak, white-oak, persimmon, and dogwood. 



This soil is said to produce 30 bushels of wheat to the acre, 20 to 25 

 bushels of oats, and 40 to 50 bushels of corn. The soil has some chert 

 gravel intermixed with it; the subsoil is a dark yellowish clay. 



The same geological formation prevails between LafFerty creek and 

 Rocky bayou; white sandstone in the base of the ridges, surmounted by 

 cavernous limestone: the ridges rising from 300 to 400 feet above the prin- 

 cipal water courses. 



For farther information in regard to the geology of this county, consult 

 the report of the assistant geologist, Edward Cox. 



IZARD COUNTY. 



Five miles from Rocky bayou, the white sandstone was found to be 116 

 feet below the summits of the ridge, passed over in the eastern part of 

 Izard county. 



At the forks of the road leading to Mt. Olive, and the North fork, and 

 7 miles from the Rocky bayou, in the bed of a dry branch, about 197 feet 

 below the level of the observation, on the above mentioned sandstone, is a 

 bed of dark-grey compact limestone, charged with minute cy/hcrca, which, 

 probably, belongs to the siiurian period. . The adjacent ridge, bounding 



