56 JNEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ECONOMIC PRODUCTS 

 • Soils 



The -principal industry of the region is farming and the success 

 of that industry here, as elsewhere, depends, not only upon the 

 character and energy of the people, but also, to a large extent upon 

 the nature of the soil. . The Port Leyden quadrangle affords us a 

 fine ■ example of the dependence of agriculture upon the geologic 

 formations. From the standpoint of fertility of soil, Black river 

 divides the district into two portions which present a remarkable 

 contrast. Eastward from the river the territory is mostly covered 

 with deep sands and gravels which are generally unproductive. 

 Occasionally along the stream bottoms or where some clay is mixed 

 with the sand, the soil is of fairly good quality. The potato crop is 

 best suited to this sandy. soil. There are many deserted farms on 

 this side of the river and apparently this section was most pros- 

 perous when lumbering was the chief occupation of the people and 

 farming a secondary matter. 



On the west side of the river where the geologic formations arc- 

 chiefly limestones and shales, and where sands and gravels are 

 sparingly present, there is a prosperous farming community. Herc 

 the surface is mostly strewn with glacial debris which is largely 

 composed of ground up shale, sandstone, and more or less lime- 

 stone, which is thus a rich and easily worked soil. 



Building stone 



Building stone of fine quality occurs in immense quantities within 

 the map limits. The rocks most quarried for this purpose are the 

 limestones of the Pamelia, Lowville and Black River formations, 

 but especially the Lowville. Many large quarries have been opened 

 up in these formations, the principal ones being located on the 

 geologic map. Such stone was used in building the numerous locks 

 of the Black river canal and then later by the railroad for bridge 

 abutments. It now has a considerable local use, especially for 

 foundations. The highly jointed and stratified character of the 

 Lowville and Pamelia beds cause it to be readily accessible in layers 

 of almost any desired thickness up to about 2 feet. The Lowville 

 is a bluish gray, very fine grained, pure limestone, while the 

 Pamelia is usually a whitish gray to pink, more or less sandy and 

 impure limestone. The gray Black River limestone quarries out as 



