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Economical Geology. 



the State. Little advantage is derived from i. however, by any part 

 of the State except Berkshire. Small beds of it do, indeed, exist in 

 the eastern part of the State ; but they rarely furnish blocks suffi- 

 ciently large and sound, to be wrought into marble. And on account 

 of the high price of wood in the vicinity of Boston, it cannot, be burnt 

 into quick lime, so as to be afforded at a less price than the lime 

 brought from Maine. In many places, however, it continues still to 

 be burnt. Judging from the appearance of the quarries, I should 

 suppose that Bolton furnishes a greater quantity of lime at present, 

 than any other locality. The stone here is mostly crystalline, and 

 white, although it is apt to be much mixed, as it is at every other 

 locality in the eastern part of the State, with a variety of minerals, 

 that much injure it for lime. Beds of this limestone occur at New- 

 bury, Bolton, Boxborough, Acton, Littleton, Carlisle, Chelmsford, 

 and Stoneham. That in Stoneham is peculiarly fine ; and could large 

 blocks of it be obtained, free from fissures and foreign minerals, it 

 would undoubtedly answer well for statuary. When there shall be 

 a greater demand for a stone of this description, perhaps a farther ex- 

 ploration will bring to light, at this quarry, many larger and sounder 

 pieces. 



On the south of Boston, at Walpole, is a bed of limestone of a 

 gray color and probably somewhat impure. It would, however, 

 make good lime ; and indeed, it was burnt in considerable quantity 

 some years ago. But until the lime from Maine and Rhode Island, 

 shall sell at a higher price, this cannot be profitably prepared. It 

 must be gratifying, however, to the inhabitants of the eastern section 

 of the State, to know that such abundant sources of this valuable 

 rock are within their reach, should their present means of supply be 

 cut off 



The limestone quarries in Smithfield, Rhode Island, are so situa- 

 ted as to be of great importance to Massachusetts, being accessible to 

 a large portion of the southeastern part of our State, and lying close 

 to the Blackstone canal. The limestone here is white and granular ; 

 tery much resembling that in the towns northwest of Boston, — 'espe- 

 cially that in Stoneham. It ocours in two principal beds, about two 

 miles apart. I was told by an agent of one of the companies, which 

 own this limestone, that not far from twenty thousand casks of lime, 

 containing from thirty eight to forty gallons each, and worth nearly 

 two dollars each, were annually prepared in the whole town. 



Several beds of limestone may be seen on the Map in the eastern 



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