54 Geology of Hudson County, JSfeio Jersey. 



aries ; and blown sand occurring in sand-dunes : more common 

 than any of these, however, are the soils formed of glacial drift; 

 this may vary widely in its nature, being sometimes sand, 

 gravel, clay, shingle, etc., or these in all degrees of admixture. 

 Besides these kinds, there are other soils formed of peat and 

 bog earths, that are due mainly to organic agencies. 



The soils occurring in Hudson County are formed entirely of 

 transported material, together with accumulations of peat and 

 mud; — soils resulting from the disintegration of the underlying 

 rocks being unrepresented. The soils of the county thus grouj) 

 themselves into four natural divisions according to their mode 

 of origin ; these at times are more or less intermingled, but are 

 usually well characterized and easily distinguishable; they are, in 

 the order of their age, as follows : 



1st. Soils composed of glacial drift. 



2d. " " " stratified drift. 



3d. " " " aeolian sand. 



4th. " " " peat and mud (now forming). 



1. Soils of Glacial Drift. — These consist of the material that 

 was left spread over the country by the retreating glaciers, viz. 

 sand and clay, derived mainly from the grinding and disintegra- 

 tion of the Triassic sandstones and shales. From the same 

 source have these soils acquired their characteristic reddish color, 

 due to the peroxide of iron they contain. Mingled with this 

 reddish-clayey soil, are great numbers of stones and boulders, 

 often of large size, and mainly transported from the westward. 

 This soil is quite constant in its composition, when unmodified 

 by cultivation, drainage eto. ; is rather stiff, owing to the amount 

 of clay it contains; and is retentive of moisture. By its color 

 and unstratified condition, it may be readily identified. 



This soil occurs covering the high ridge bordering Hudson 

 County along the Passaic; eastward of this, it appears again 

 around Snake Hill, and forms the surface of the iipland known 

 as Secaucus, northward of Snake Hill. South of Snake Hill, and 

 between the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, the boulders of the 

 drift were struck at a dejitli of 125 feet, in the sinking of wells.* 



* Vide Table No. 1 at the end of this article. 



