62 GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS. 



a boring was made to the depth of ISO feet, but this did not go deep 

 enough to reach No. 7, which is the uppermost of the main seams. It 

 commenced about the horizon of coal No. 10 or 11, and the depth from 

 this horizon to No. 7 is probably from two to three hundred feet. 



Iron Ore. — Bands of argillaceous iron ore are found disseminated 

 more or less abundantly through many of the shale beds in these coun- 

 ties, but usually in too limited quantities to be of much value. At the 

 ford eight miles north-west of Albion on the S. W. quarter of sec. 7, T. 

 1 S., E. 10 E., there is a larger quantity of iron ore than was seen else- 

 where in this region. The shale bed is four feet thick, and nearly or 

 quite one-half of this thickness is a clay iron ore of fair quality. Several 

 tons of ore may be collected from the debris at the foot of the bluff 

 where it has been washed out of the shale by the river current. Twenty 

 inches of coal of a fair quality immediately overlays the ferruginous 

 shale. 



Potters'' Clay. — Potters' clay of fair quality is found in the bank of 

 Greathouse creek, near Mt. Carmel, and a bed of fine white clay also 

 occurs on Crawfish creek on sec. 5, T. 1 S., E. 12 E. This bed is four 

 feet thick and appears like a good fire clay. 



Brick Materials. — Good brick clay is abundant in almost every neigh- 

 borhood, and sand suitable for mortar and cement may be found in the 

 river bluffs as well as in some of the creek valleys. 



Soil and Timber. — The soil on the rolling upland is a chocolate col- 

 ored clay loam well charged with humus from the decomposition of 

 organic matters, and very productive, especially in wheat, oats and 

 grass. In the vicinity of the Wabash bluff's the character of the soil 

 is modified by the sandy marls of the loess upon which they rest, but 

 these soils are very quick and productive, yielding annually large crops 

 of all the cereals usually cultivated in this climate. Along the Wabash 

 and Bonpass there are extensive tracts of heavily timbered bottom 

 lands that have a deep alluvial soil with a sandy subsoil. These lauds 

 are very productive when cleared and brought under cultivation, and 

 are decidedly the best corn lands in this portion of the State. They 

 are subject to annual overflow from the river freshets, but these usually 

 occur in the early spring time and seldom interfere with the production 

 of the usual crops. These two counties, though limited in area, have a 

 thrifty and wealthy population devoted mainly to agriculture, the 

 Wabash river and the intersecting railroads furnishing all needed mar- 

 ket facilities. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. Zimmerman, of Mt. Carmel, for much valua- 

 ble information and assistance while engaged in my examinations in 

 this vicinity, and to Dr. J. Schenck for the following complete list of 

 the trees and shrubs indiginous to Wabash county: 



