

STATE GEOLOGIST. 193 



Northwest. When, in addition, it is remembered thai suit 1ms 

 need in some OOUDtrieS as an improver of the Aril, 

 and that n have Bhown it to be well adapted 



Tor this pnrpoae, there is no reason to fear thai the manufacture 

 can ever be overdone. There arc no evidences thai the rapidly 

 ising supply of Onondaga salt has perceptibly aff ! 

 the price for the period i f 10 years. 



Such being the facts, th< praphical extent of the 



salt ! ether with toe extraordinary strength 



of the brine, furnish strong reasons to anticipate thai at no 



si day Michigan will be the leading Bait-producing State 



of the Union; and a judicious public policy will be shaped with 



tiding this result. 

 THAT, UGNITt AND OTHER BITUMINOUS DEPOSTOS, 



Allusion - d made in a former pari of this report, to the 

 of numerous depositee of Teat, scattered over the 



surface of the Lower Peninsula. This Bubstance is con 

 almost entirely of vegetable matter, which is th? distinguishing 

 characteristic of the luxuriant soils of the "prairie" States. 

 erly commingled, therefore, with our warm gravelly sojls, 



, ; J be a union of the excellencies of two soils 

 quite distinct from each ether. Impressed with a vague idea 

 of the agricultural value of peat, the farmer has not unfrequent- 



ly strewn it in a crude state upon his 'fields and been disap- 

 pointed at the temporarily injurious effects produced. It must 

 ver, that peat is vegetable matter in a 

 tate of partial decomposition; and if it were not actually in- 

 s in this state, it could he of no use, as plants assimilate 



©nly ; matter. But partially decom- 



i le matter is made np I : extent of various 



Is which impait a 901ime$8 to the Boil, and prove 



a positive Injury to crops. Obviously, therefore, the decompo- 

 siti :i :' the peat must he completed before it is suitable 

 application to the - ; . Various means are recommended for 



Agricultural Lectures, p. 181. 



