COLEMAN COUNTY. 547 



The upper part of the Texas Coal Measures is the only part found in the 

 county. As compared with the northern part of the State, there are no strata 

 below Coal Seam No. 7, except a small area in the southwestern part of the 

 county. 



There are many fossils found in different parts of the county. The follow- 

 ing specimens were found just above the coal on Home Creek: Spirifer cam- 

 eratus, Morton; Productus nebrascensis, Owen; Fusulina clyindrica, Fischer; 

 Hemiphronites crassus, Meek and Hay den; Myalina perattenuata, Meek and 

 Hayden. 



SOIL. 



The soils of this county have mostly been made from the underlying strata 

 and are varied in character according to the different strata below. 



There are broad, level plateaus in places that are the detritus left at the 

 time of the erosion that carried away the Cretaceous. These soils constitute 

 some of the best lands for agricultural purposes in the county. The clay and 

 beds of shale are in places very thick, and this has formed broad plains ex- 

 tending back from an escarpment to where another stratum comes in, mak- 

 ing the next line of escarpments. 



The creek valleys are very fertile, being generally a black sandy loam, 

 while in other places they are more inclined to be a red sandy loam. All 

 are fertile and about equally productive. 



TIMBER. 



Only part of this county can be said to be well timbered. The timber is 

 generally confined to the creeks and rivers, except that of the mesquite, which 

 is abundant everywhere. 



Post oak timber is plentiful in the southeastern part of the county, and the 

 creeks and branches have enough timber in the prairie part of the county to 

 supply domestic purposes. There is also some post oak timber in the north- 

 eastern part of the county. 



WATER. 



There is an abundance of water in every part of the county. The creeks 

 are numerous and most of them have water in them the entire year. This 

 county is famous for its fine stock ranches, and they are so because of the 

 great abundance of water in them. 



It is true that the grass in this county is of the very best quality — that of 

 the curly mesquite — and is famous for that fact, but it is more so on account 

 of its great abundance of water for stock purposes. Water can be had in 

 shallow wells in every locality, and there are numerous springs in different 



