382 agricultural report. [1856, 857, 858, 859 



occur in the indications of the timber as compared with the undergrowth ; the 

 timber being indicative of clay soil, whereas the arable surface soil is really sandy. 

 The clay stratum is some 20 feet in thickness ; as we go down, it gradually 

 becomes paler and mingled with bluish and white specks ; it is underlaid by 

 white or blue sand. 



856. This clay is found on both sides of the Bayou Bernard, for a short 

 distance, and its limits are pretty sharply defined. On an elevation 30 yards 

 from Mr. Humphries' house (where there is a well dug entirely in this clay, of 

 the depth above named, and without curbing) no clay is struck at 20 feet — all 

 sand. — The soil is said not to produce well without manure ; but it seems that 

 subsoiling has never yet been tried. At all events, such land is capable of fine 

 improvement. 



Another example of a clay ridge approaching the coast, has already been 

 mentioned as existing at Ocean Springs (If 848). Others occur on or near the 

 " Back Bay ", according to Dr. Tegarden. As a general thing, the clay ridges 

 become more frequent as we advance westward ; and at the head of the inner 

 Bay St. Louis, a few miles inland, we strike a Pine Hill region, where the 

 greater portion of the lands have a good loam subsoil. Here the pines attain to 

 a good size, and a great deal of charcoal is made. Fine lumber is rafted down 

 Wolf River and Bayou Delisle, to Mr. Huddleston's mill, and others; and I 

 understand that the country between Wolf and Jourdan Rivers is generally of 

 the hilly character just mentioned, with but few meadow spots of considerable 

 extent. — At Mr. Huddleston's mill, too, we find a heavy clay subsoil, similar to 

 that at Humphries', above mentioned ; here also, the surface soil, to the depth 

 of 8 to 10 inches, is quite light and sandy. These clay lands extend about a 

 mile up the Bayou Delisle, from its mouth — into the Marsh of Wolf River. This 

 underclay makes fine brick — quite a desideratum in the coast region. 



857. The singular outcrop on Wolf River, at Mr. I. Saucier's, S. 20, T. 7, R. 

 12 W., has been described in the Geological Report (TJ 249). It is effectually, as 

 there stated, an ancient, now subterranean, Cypress swamp. As such its muck 

 or mud might be supposed to possess considerable fertility ; it is, however, a 

 pretty stiff gray clay, which, from its aspect would not seem to be worth trans- 

 portation. Analysis, however, will decide this point. 



Mr. H. Taylor, at Pass Christian, informed me that about twenty-two miles, 

 by water, above the mouth of Wolf, there is an outcrop of shells on the banks, 

 on both sides, I regret very much my inability to visit the locality at the time, 

 both on account of the geological interest attaching to such a deposit, and its 

 probable value for agricultural purposes. The deposit is probably of a character 

 similar to the small outcrop at Mr. Bell's, S. 16, T. 7, R. 11 W.. on the Bayou 

 Bernard, which has also been described (H248); and shells have also been found 

 in a well at Habolochitto Bridge, by Col. Kimball. Altogether, it is highly prob- 

 able that clayey shell deposits of considerable extent exist in the middle portion 

 of Harrison and Hancock counties, which may prove of great value to the agri- 

 culturists of the coast. — The special survey of these counties will have to decide 

 the point. 



858. On the Bayou Bernard (at Bell's), and in many other localities in the 

 hilly country, there are outcrops of white pipeclay and hardpan, belonging to 

 the Orange Sand formation (1[70). They are here, as everywhere, almost abso- 

 lutely void of nutritive ingredients, and unfit for the improvement of soils— 

 except perhaps in a few cases, as purely mechanical manures. These clays are 

 readily distinguishable by their chalky touch ; they are frequently (as at Bell's), 

 accompanied by variously colored sands, and red and yellow ochre. These, 

 with the Selenite or gypsum found at Dwyer's ferry (T[246), and the iron pyrites 

 in some of the gray clays, are the only minerals found, or likely to be found, 

 in the seacoast counties. 



859. Pass Christian and Shieldsboro' (Bay St. Louis), are both situated on 

 Sand Hommocks, elevated from five to twelve feet above tide-water. In both, 



