316 COUNTY AND REGIONAL GEOLOGY. 



of Mr. Cox, one and half miles east of Winterset, a thin bed 

 of coal has been opened, which seems to belong to the horizon 

 of No. 6 of the Winterset section. It is probably too thin to 

 be of any value. 



At Anderson's mill, on Clanton's fork of Middle river, near 

 the east line of the county, and also at several other points in 

 the same township, a thin bed of coal, belonging evidently to 

 the same horizon as that at Clarke's, has been mined by 

 stripping; but being only a few inches in thickness it cannot 

 be profitably mined where the overlying material is more 

 than a few feet in thickness. The Quality of the coal, 

 however, like that of the majority of the thin beds everywhere 

 is very good. 



It will thus be seen that the only hope of a sufficient supply 

 of coal for Madison county lies in comparatively deep mining. 



The abundant growth of forest trees along the valleys of 

 this county afford a plentiful supply of fuel, notwithstanding 

 the present scarcity of coal, and so rapid is the growth of 

 trees that in this county it is found desirable to check, rather 

 than to encourage their encroachment upon the prairies. 



Water is abundant from all the usual sources, namely, 

 numerous streams and springs in their valleys, and surface 

 water which may be reached almost anywhere by wells of 

 moderate depth. 



The soil of the county is a deep rich loam, not surpassed 

 for fertility by that of any county in the State. The general 

 aspect of Madison county is one of unusual beauty. The 

 monotony which often accompanies prairie views is here 

 completely relieved by gentle undulations of the general 

 surface and by the deep wooded valley-sides of its larger 

 streams. 



4. CLARKE COUNTY.* 



Boundaries and Area. Clarke county is bounded on the 

 east south and west respectively by Lucas, Decatur, and 



* This county, for want of time, has not been as fully examined as others. 



