364 1 , 564'-. 505, 566] waters o? the prairie region. 269 



the hillsides, where it is often difficult to obtain a definite idea of the prevalent 

 -character. 



oo4'. The agricultural feature? of the Ridge in Chickasaw do 

 not differ essentially from those in Pontotoc. Even the " Buncombe " 

 land is represented (for instance, with a great abundance of ferru- 

 ginous pebbles of various sizes, in the southern portion of T. 12, 

 R. -i E., near Houlka P. ) ; but, a? we approach Houston, the 

 *' mulatto soil " becomrs heavier and less deeply tinged with iron, 

 forming a transition inio the oak uplands of the prairie region. 



5642. But for the brokenness of the surface, which in many 

 points renders inconvenient the culture of large tracts, few upland 

 regions in Mississippi could boast of equal agricultural advantages 

 with the Pontotoc Ridge generally. Nor are the comforts of life 

 •often marred (as is tne case in the prairies) by the lack or scarcity 

 •of good water ; springs being quite abundant and wells, in most 

 ■cases, easily obtained, either in the Orange Sand overlying the 

 marl and limestone, or else by shallow bores (seldom much exceed- 

 ing 150 feet) within the strata of the Cretaceous — in which case 

 the water, it is true, is limy, but not nearly as much, commonly, 

 as in the Rotten Limestone region. Not unfiequently the waters 

 thus obtained, which rise to within 40 to 70 feet of the surface, are 

 more or less sulphureous and chalybeate, the same being the case 

 ■sometimes with the natural springs ; they do not often, however, 

 contain any notable quantity of magnesian salts Artesian bores 

 have not, so far as I know, as yet been attempted, although it 

 seems quite likely that they might succeed, especially in the W. 

 part of the Ridge, where the land is not very high. 



565. Waters op the North-eastern Prairie Region. — Those 

 of the Pontotoc Ridge lands have just been referred to. In those 

 ^portions of tliis region which have been above described as being, 

 more or less, of the Pine Hill character (the territory of the 

 Eutaw and Tombigbee Sand Groups, and also that of the Carbo- 

 niferous formation — see map), there is generally little difficulty in 

 obtaining a good supply of water. The Orange Sand, which forms 

 the surface, is underlaid by the impervious strata of the other 

 formations, giving rise to numerous springs ; wells obtain wat^r 

 at moderate depths, either ab >ve the older formations, when it is 

 of the free.-tone character — or else within the latter, when it is 

 often limy and sometimes slightly sulphureous, but not often so far 

 impregnated with mineral ingredients as to interfere with its daily 

 nse for drinkintr purposes'. 



Fetid and undrinkable water has been obtained, on the territory of the Eutaw 

 •Group, between Weaver's Creek and the Little Sipsie(Hl05) ; cisterns require 

 to be used in that region. 



There are, however, some strong mineral springs within the State, E. of the 

 Rotten Limestone region, some of which deserve, and have attracted, considera- 

 ble attention. 



566. At Iuka, on the M. & C. R. R., there are several mineral springs (1f98), 

 of two of which I have analyzed specimens furnished me by Geo. W. Stamps, 

 Esq., of the Iuka Female Institute. 



