OF ARK A.\ 



207 



Rice's spring, situated on the waters of Mud creek, a branch of Fourche 

 Dumas, on section 14, township -21 north, range 1 west, is a place of much 

 resort for invalids from this and the adjoining- counties. The following is 

 the result of the qualitative chemical examination, made at the fountain 

 head: 



Temperature of the air 82 deg. F., temperature of the water 62 dcg. F. 



Carbonic acid (abundant). 



Bi-carbonate of lime. 



Bi-carbonate of magnesia. 



Bi-carbonate of the protoxide of iron. 



Sulphates, a trace? 



The examination of this spring was made at a very unfavorable time; 

 the unusually heavy rains, which fell in the spring, had completely satu- 

 rated the surface of the earth, and diluted the spring with fresh water. 

 From the above analysis, it appears to be a weak chalybeate, whereas it 

 is represented by those who frequent it in a dry time to be a strong sul- 

 phur water. In its present state, acetate of lead would give no reaction 

 of sulphuretted hydrogen. 



Small deposits of hydrated brown oxide of iron (limonite) are seen, at 

 various places in this county. The most extensive are those near J. H. 

 Imboden's on Eleven Point river, and in the vicinity of Old Jackson, close 

 to the boundary line between Randolph and Lawrence counties. It is 

 possible a sufficiency of good ore may be found at the latter locality to 

 supply a small forge. 



Agriculture. 



East of Black river the soil is principally river deposit; and, where not 

 submerged by ordinary freshets, is easily cultivated and remarkably pro- 

 ductive. It is well adapted for corn, wheat, oats, and clover. Samples 

 of soils were collected in this part of the county, from a farm 18 miles 

 from Pocahontas, belonging to Maj. Proudfit. The virgin soil is of a light 

 black color, and the sub-soil a yellow clay. The field, in which the soil 

 No. 2 was collected, had been in cultivation twenty years, nearly all the 

 time in corn, and will now produce with ordinary tillage a crop of 50 or 

 70 bushels to the acre. 



West of Black river, the principal soils for cultivation are the rich allu- 

 vial lands adjacent to the river. 



The growth of timber on the east side of Black river, with the excep- 

 tion of black walnut, is the same as that noted in Greene county. On the 

 weat side of this river the growth is small oak and hickory, on the hills; 



