■T66, 67 



yURESWARE — FIREBRICK. 



37 



section occurs, which shows the unquestionable equivalents of the white clay 

 underlaid by materials possessing all the characteristics of the Orange Sand 

 formation : 



(Section 1.) 

 SECTION AT AKER'S GRIST-MILL, TISHOMINGO COUNTY. 



There can be no doubt, therefore, that these white strata, like the pebbles, are 

 only a peculiar local facies of the Orange Sand. 



66. Practical uses of these beds. — The two most important 

 practical purposes which the materials occurring in the deposits just 

 described, will serve, are, the manufacture of fine queensware * and 

 that of fire-proof brick. 



As for the former, the plasticity of the material leaves nothing 

 to be desired ; and since the amount of siliceous matter varies 

 greatly in different layers, there could be no difficulty about giving 

 to the mass the precise degree of meagreness which may be found 

 most advantageous, by mixing the several successive layers. 



67. The same may be said with reference to the manufacture of 

 fire-brick (to which these materials are admirably adapted); which 

 would probably, at the present time, be the most feasible and 

 profitable manner in which the beds could be made available. The 



* Not porcelain. Kaolin or porcelain earth contains, besides the white clay, 

 a certain amount of undecomposed felspar, which imparts to it its property of 

 being semi-fused at the temperature of the porcelain kiln. The same property 

 might be imparted to the white clay in question, by the artificial admixture of 

 ground felspar ; but it could not thus compete with the natural kaolin of 

 Alabama. 



