242 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 
Agriculture. 
Large tracts of level land exist over the area of the above mentioned 
shales, from which the soil has been chiefly derived in this county. Where 
the reddish-colored ferruginous shales of this group prevail, the land is 
productive and easily cultivated; but where the purely argillaceous shales 
exist, the soil is stiff, refractory, and inclined to be sprouty, and difficult to 
bring into a good condition for cultivation; however, when subdued, it 
becomes fertile. These flat clay lands, in their wild state, support a luxu- 
riant growth of “barren grass,” excellent for stock. The timber is mostly 
postoak and gum. The soil of the hill land is mostly derived from the 
sandstone of the millstone grit series, and is easily cultivated, though not 
so productive as the bottom lands. The principal growth of timber, on 
the highlands, consists of white, red, and blackoaks, black hickory, and 
black-jack oak. A set of soils was collected, characteristic of the latter 
lands, from Mr. John W. Purdom’s farm, in section 36, township 3 north, 
range 12 west. 
PRAIRIE COUNTY. 
At the time I reached this county, the flies were found to be so numer- 
ous that it was impossible for the horses to travel during the day; conse- 
quently my observations in this county have been limited. 
It is a level prairie country, as its name implies, and its substratum is 
composed of the orange-colored sand belonging to the quaternary period. 
The only solid rocks observed, are inthe north-western part of the county, 
and belong to the millstone grit formation. The greater portion of this 
county is well adapted for cultivation, and though mostly open, prairie, 
there are considerable bodies of good timber bordering along the numer- 
ous small streams that water this county. There is, at all times, an inex- 
haustible supply of wild grass, for stock, and large droves of Mexican 
mustangs, and Texas horses, passing through the country, are, annually, 
brought to this county to recruit upon its rich, wild pastures. Samples of 
soils were collected from the John Percifield old place, in the Grand prai- 
rie, seven miles from Brownsville, section 10, township 2 north, range 7 
west. This soil is said to be excellent for small grain, and will produce 
twenty-five bushels of wheat to the acre. It is not so good for corn, the 
average being from twenty-five to thirty bushels to the acre. 
