216 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 
also, a set from Mr. M. L. Robinson’s land, two miles north of Jackson- 
port. At the latter place, No. 2, the cultivated soil, was selected from an 
old field fifty years or more in cultivation, and has produced for the last 
twenty years successive crops of cotton, with an average yield of about 
eight hundred pounds of seed cotton per acre, rating in the New Orleans 
market in quality equal to the Mississippi cotton, and having a rather 
better staple than the cotton from Tennessee. 
The principal growth of timber on this land is black, white and post- 
oak, sweetgum, blackwalnut, and some hickory. 
The Cairo and Fulton railroad crosses White river near Jacksonport, 
and runs along Village creek, through the northern part of the county. I 
was informed that as many as one hundred and fifty hands were employed 
this season in its construction in Jackson county, and it is hoped that the 
completion of so important a work to the State, is placed beyond a doubt. 
The large grant of lands bordering on the road, it is estimated will be 
sufficient to pay for its construction. 
INDEPENDENCE COUNTY. 
The geological formations in the part of this county explored by me, 
are exhibited in the following section: 
On the road from Jack- 
sonport to Batesville, 
lafter reaching the high- 
land some five miles in 
|Feet. 
a 
OfWaterworn quaternary gravel. 
15\Coarse ferruginous quaternary sandstone. 
a westerly course from 
Black river, the water- 
worn quaternary horn- 
stone and chert gravel 
(k) of this section is 
found capping the tops 
Conglomerate and millstone grit, with interea-lof the hills as far west 
480 inlet Gates schistose sandstone, 480 feet as range 4. This gravel 
bed sometimes rests upon 
the ferruginous sand- 
ston (7), and sometimes 
immediately upon the 
buff-colored sandstone 
(f); but was nowhere 
recognized in connection 
