PIKE COUNTY. 639 



The conglomerate soils of the eastern uplands of the county need no 

 extended remark. There are barren areas within them, deiived from 

 the pebble beds, without any admixture of shales; bat, -for the most part, 

 they are covered with the forest growth that belongs to thin soils. The 

 steep slopes of the hills on the northern sides are always productive. It 

 costs much more to till them than to till the great valleys, but the slopes 

 are scarcely less productive than the richest of the valleys. 



The first named of the native soils of the county was spoken of as 

 specially adapted to the growth of timber and to the production of fruit. 

 While the remaining divisions are not limited, as are the shales, to such 

 lines of production, it may be said that all of the highlands of the 

 county are happily adapted to these same interests. For successful'fruit- 

 growing, the hills of Pike county can not be excelled in southern Ohio. 

 By their elevation they gain exemption from late frosts in spring — one of 

 the chief obstacles to fruit-growing in the State. A peach crop is very 

 seldom forfeited on the high grounds. 



For a cause presently to be mentioned, these uplands can not be very 

 successfully devoted to stock-raising; nor can cereals be produced from 

 them in remunerative degree, if the same system that prevails in the 

 valleys is followed here ; but an intelligent adaptation of means to ends 

 in dealing with them will make them more kindly and more fruitful 

 soils than the most favored regions of the New England States, or the 

 eastern border of the country generally ; and however poor these lands 

 are now counted in comparison with the beautiful plains below them, we 

 may be sure that they contain untold possibilities of agricultural . 

 wealth, which are certain, at some future day, to be utilized. 



IV. WATER-SUPPLY. 



One topic remains to be discussed, viz., the important one of water- 

 supply. This will be considered in connection with the geological divi- 

 sions already given. 



1. There are many springs at the lowest geological horizon of the 

 county, viz., at the surface of the limestones along the western edge of 

 the county. Though issuing from the limestones, they are in almost all 

 cases derived from the porous beds of the overlying Huron shales. If 

 the springs are weak, and especially if the water moves from them 

 slowly, they are very likely to be impregnated with dissolved mineral 

 matters, of which sulphur and iron are chief. Such springs invariably 

 acquire a local reputation as medicinal, and though, as a rule, pure water 

 is to be preferred for human use to supplies that are burdened with min- 

 eral matters dissolved from the rocks, the nature of the impurities here 



