f*4 



no extensive district of the valley will be found wanting in this de- 

 posits It is in truth a precipitation of the calcareous matter from 

 the limestone waters, which are universal throughout this region, 

 and must therefore be looked for as occurring in most neighbour- 

 hoods where springs thus impregnated are of general occurrence. 

 Now, it is important to be known, that from this substance a lime 

 of very superior quality may be made, and that judging by the value 

 attached in the market to that from the travertine of Caledonia in 

 New York, the burning of this material in some of our localities 

 might be attended with very considerable profit ; at all events its 

 utility in agriculture added to the facility with which in some places 

 the deposite may be obtained, (no quarrying being necessary to 

 separate it from the mass,) would render it an advantageous substi- 

 tute for the limestone of the same neighbourhood. Moreover, it 

 should be remembered, that in the more friable or powdery state in 

 which much of it is found, it may, as in Europe, be very beneficially 

 applied as a marl without being burnt. The immense improvement 

 which eastern Virginia has derived and is now receiving from 

 the calcareous manures, must render any illustration of the effects 

 of this substance altogether superfluous, when it is understood that 

 in composition it cannot be distinguished from the better qualities 

 of the pulverulent marls, of which analyses have been given in the 

 early part of this report. Independent of which, its value has been 

 unequivocally tested in other countries, where it has been found to 

 have the most decided ameliorating effects upon land to which it is 

 properly applied. 



From what has been said respecting many of the soils of the val- 

 ley, it is not to be inferred that they are all devoid of calcareous 

 matter, or indeed that this ingredient is not very often present in 

 some proportion, but rather that in few or no instances does it exist 

 in the soil to such an extent as to interfere with the advantageous 

 application of lime or unburnt calcareous manures ; and under these 

 views, I would urge upon those who are particularly interested in 

 the success of agriculture in the valley the benefits to be anticipated 

 from the diligent use of the various resources so abundant and ac- 

 cessible throughout this portion of the state. 



The iron ore of the valley constitutes another of its most valuable 

 possessions. This, although manufactured into iron in numerous 

 places, has as yet been the subject of no systematic geological and 



