SALINE COUNTY. 233 



believe, from the geology of the district, that brine, just as pure and 

 strong as that now worked at the "Saline," can be found by boring in 

 the vicinity of Harrisburg. In order to test the matter, the bore should 

 penetrate the muriatiferous shales which lie below the Conglomerate- 

 On the Middle Fork of the Saline river, or on the bottom land at Harris- 

 burg, a bore would start from a geological horizon fifty to sixty feet 

 above the wells at the "Saline," yet, it is believed that the great salt 

 repository will be reached at a much less depth than at the "Saline,'' 

 from the thinning out of the subordinate coal strata. 



Building Stone. — There is an abundance of good limestone for build- 

 ing purposes in the south-eastern part of the county, where the Lower 

 Carboniferous rocks have been brought to the surface by the Gold Hill 

 axis. In the south-western part there is a durable and handsome sand- 

 stone, which is very extensively used for building foundations to houses 

 and for chimneys. It can be obtained in large blocks and is easily 

 worked. The sandstone in the northern part of the county answers 

 very well for ordinary building purposes, but is not so good as that 

 found in the south-western part. 



Quicklime. — The Coal Measure limestone, which overlies No. 7 coal, 

 makes a very fair article of dark lime at some localities, but generally 

 contains too large a quantity of impurities, and owing to the extra cost of 

 quarrying, it will never be extensively used for that purpose. The 

 Lower Carboniferous limestone, at Prospect Hill, in the south-eastern 

 part of the county, can furnish a bountiful supply and of excellent 

 quality. 



Plastic Clay. — Good clay, suitable for fire-brick and stone ware, is 

 found in the south-eastern part of the county, and Mr. Nicomb has 

 established a pottery there and is making out of this clay, both fire-brick 

 and stone ware. 



Good clay, for making the ordinary brick used for building purposes, 

 may be found in the drift deposits throughout the county. 



Timber. — For the most part Saline county is well timbered and can 

 furnish a large quantity of black walnut, white oak, cypress and pop- 

 lar lumber. Besides the trees suitable for lumber, there is the usual 

 variety for this latitude of forest growth. 



Agriculture. — The soils of this county are very simdar in their physi- 

 cal features to those of Gallatin county. 



Along the water courses there is, in places, a black sandy loam, very 

 rich in organic matter, which supports a fine growth of black walnut, 

 poplar, large oaks, hickory, dog wood and spice bushes. Then, there 

 are extensive tracts, known as post oak flats, which have an ashen-col- 

 ored, close, compact clay soil that holds water like a jug. When prop- 

 erly ditched and drained, the latter soil is highly productive, being rich 



