STATE GEOLOGIST. 193 



Northwest. When, in addition, it is remembered that salt has 

 long been used in some countries as an improver of the soil, 

 and that recent researches* have shown it to be well adapted 

 for this purpose, there is no reason to fear that the manufacture 

 can ever be overdone. There are no evidences that the rapidly 

 increasing supply of Onondaga salt hats perceptibly affected 

 the price for the period of 40 years. 



Such being the facts, the vast geographical extent of the 

 salt basin of Michigan, together with the extraordinary strength 

 of the brine, furnish strong reasons to anticipate that at no 

 distant day Michigan will be the leading salt-producing State 

 of the Union; and a judicious public policy will be shaped with 

 reference to forwarding this result. 



PEAT, LIGNITE AND OTHER BITUMINOUS DEPOSITES. 



Allusion has been made in a former part of this report, to the 

 existence of numerous deposites of Peat, scattered over the 

 surface of the Lower Peninsula. This substance is composed 

 almost entirely of vegetable matter, which is the distinguishing 

 characteristic of the luxuriant soils of the " prairie" States. 

 Properly commingled, therefore, with our warm gravelly soils, 

 the result would be a union of the excellencies of two soils 

 quite distinct from each other. Impressed with a vague idea 

 of the agricultural value of peat, the farmer has not unfrequent- 

 ly strewn it in a crude state upon his fields and been disap- 

 pointed at the temporarily injurious effects produced. It must 

 be remembered, however, that peat is vegetable matter in a 

 tate «f partial decomposition; and if it were not actually in- 

 jurious in this state, it could be of no use, as plants assimilates 

 only inorganic or disorganized matter. But partially decom- 

 posed vegetable matter is made up to a great extent of various 

 vegetable acids which impart a sourness to the soil, and prove 

 a positive injary to crops. Obviously, therefore, the decompo- 

 sition of the peat must be completed before it is suitable as an 

 application to the soil. Various means are recommended for 



• Tale Agricultural Lectures, p. 181. 



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