344 COUNTY AKD REGIONAL GEOLOGY. 



importance, the principal of which is its coal. The bed from 

 which it is obtained, as before described, is very thin, and in 

 other parts of the State wonld be regarded as of little 

 value, but since it is the only one in the whole region at 

 present accessible, it has an important local valne. Although, 

 the amount of coal obtained from this bed will always be 

 small, the quality is veiy good, and it will always be in 

 demand until deeper and better beds are found. 



It has been often repeated upon previous pages that there 

 are good reasons for hope that profitable beds of coal may 

 be reached beneath this part of the State by deep mining. 

 While it is doubtless practicable to reach such beds of coal at 

 any time, if they really exist beneath Adams county, by 

 sinking deep shafts down to them, yet such an enterprise 

 wonld be undertaken with much more confidence by most 

 persons if the similar ones which have been suggested for 

 Madison, Union, and other counties had already been prose- 

 cuted and proved successful. 



The various exposures of stone before mentioned furnish 

 considerable quantities of material for common masonry, 

 walling wells, etc., and some of those on the East Nodaway 

 furnish stone that is suitable for lime. 



The soil is the usual deep, rich, loamy soil of the drift, and 

 is everywhere excellent. The county is well watered by its 

 streams, and wells of pure water are obtainable almost any- 

 where without difficulty. 



10. TAYLOR COUNTY. 



Boundaries and Area. Taylor is one of the southern tier 

 of counties, and the third in order, counting eastward from 

 the Missouri river. It is bounded on the north, east and west 

 respectively by Adams, Ringgold, and Page counties, and on 

 the south by the southern boundary of the State. It contains 

 nominally sixteen congressional townships, but in conse- 

 quence of the irregularity caused by the correction line which 

 passes east and west near its center, and also of the obliquity 



