GEOLOGY OF SOTJTHWESTEE^ IOWA. *6'&) 



No. 1 is regarded as equivalent to No. 2 of the Winterset 

 section, although it differs from it somewhat in its more argi- 

 laceous character. In this respect it more closely resembles 

 No. 2 of the section at Davis' mill in T3ecatur county, with 

 which it is also equivalent. 



Material Resources. Besides its fertile soil, the material 

 resources of Adair county are unimportant. Sufficient sup- 

 plies of stone for building purposes and for lime may be 

 obtained along the valley of Middle river, but elsewhere in the 

 county none of this important material is to be found. 



If coal should in the future be obtained in Madison county 

 by deep mining, aecoiding to the plan before suggested, it 

 may also be expected by similar mining in Adair county. 



Ancient Peat. On section 22, township 75, range 32, a bed 

 of dark colored carbonaceous substance was found exposed 

 in the bed of one of the upper branches of the Middle 

 Nodaway river, which is there a mere prairie creek. This is 

 evidently ancient peat, formed there before the surface had 

 assumed its present well-diaincd condition at least, if it is 

 not really of pre-glacial origin of which there are some 

 indications. The owners of the land thinking it might prove 

 valuable for fuel, sunk a shaft of a few feet in depth down to 

 it from the bank of the rivulet, and the bed was found to be 

 between two and three feet in thickness. The drift, appa- 

 rently only slightly, if at all modified, rested directly upon 

 it, and it was underlaid by a dull, bluish clayey bed. 

 Although the proportion of ash in this ancient peat is only a 

 little greater than that of some modern peat used as fuel, it is 

 only slightly combustible and probably has no practical 

 value. 



9. ADAMS COUNTY. 



Boundaries and Area. Adams lies immediately west of 

 Union county before described, and is of exactly the same 

 size, being three congressional townships in width from north 

 to south, and four of the same in length from east to west. 

 Consequently, it contains a superficial area of four hundred 



