Clay, Slate, and Graywacke. 



9 



not a little limestone, either in beds, or impregnating the sandstone. 

 But in Massachusetts, the lime is in small quantity : and hence prob- 

 ably it affords a soil inferior to that produced by the English rock. 

 Still* with us its soil is of a superior quality. Its poorer varieties are 

 excellent for rye. It is also peculiarly well adapted for fruit. The 

 grass grown upon it is of a superior quality ; and it affords excellent 

 pasture. The establishment of the Shakers in Enfield, Ct, exhibits 

 a favorable example of the productiveness of this soil, when under a 

 good cultivation. The black, white, and red oaks, with pignut hick- 

 ory, chesnut, and soft maple, (Acer rubrum,) are the forest trees most 

 naturally produced upon this soil. 



Argillaceous Slate and Graywacke; 



The argillaceous slate in the vicinity of Boston, is intimately con- 

 nected with the graywacke* and may perhaps be considered as a vari- 

 ety of that rock. It is considerably different from the argillaceous 

 slate of Worcester, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Every vari- 

 ety, however, furnishes by decomposition, a dark colored soil, which, 

 although somewhat apt to be cold, is capable of being made very fer- 

 tile. The central parts of Gluincy, exhibit a favorable example of the 

 soil lying above this rock. The range in Worcester county, is almost 

 every where overspread with diluvium, and in Franklin and Berk- 

 shire, this rock is so limited in extent, as not very strikingly to de- 

 velop the peculiarities of its superincumbent soil. Professor Dewey, 

 however, says, that in Berkshire " the argillaceous district is more 

 fertile and productive than any other portion of the section, except the 

 alluvial." 



Numerous varieties of rock, both in colored shale or slate,- contain- 

 ing the anthracite coal of Rhode Island, to the coarse conglomerate, 

 or plum pudding stone, of Roxbury, Dorchester, Dighton, Somerset, 

 and Swansey. Most of these varieties, however, appear to furnish a 

 soil of good quality, and sometimes of superior fertility. The island 

 of Rhode Island exhibits the superiority of the soil of this formation, 

 to that of several others that surround it. As we proceed northerly, 

 the great quantities of diluvium spread over the surface, obliterate, or 

 greatly modify the soil peculiar to the formation. But in Dorchester, 

 Roxbury, Brooklin, Brighton, and Newton, it is exhibited to great ad- 

 vantage ; presenting the finest examples of exuberant farms and gar- 

 dens in the Commonwealth ■ although we must not forget the very 

 9, • ■■■ V 



