s 



Economical Geology. 



tural point of view, between those tertiary formations that occur in 

 Massachusetts, and our diluvium, although in England, some of these 

 formations, that embrace beds of loam and marl, are very productive- 

 But it is doubtful whether more than one of our tertiary formations 

 are identical with any in Europe. At any rate, ours contain no marl, 

 and very little loam ; and where the sand is uppermost, much of the 

 soil corresponds to those unimproved and unimprovable tracts, that 

 occur in the immediate vicinity of the English metropolis — composed 

 of what is locally denominated bagshot sand. Where the clay pre- 

 dominates, however, cultivation and proper manure produce a valua- 

 ble soil. Of this description are the small tertiary patches on the 

 Map in the vicinity of Boston. There, in fact, the clay near the sur- 

 face appears generally to have been disturbed, and to be a kind of 

 loam ; and it is doubtful whether they ought not rather to have been 

 colored as diluvium, than as tertiary. It ought also to be remarked, 

 that the sandy plains along Connecticut river, are very congenial to 

 the growth of rye, and are very easy to cultivate. 



New Red Sandstone. 



This is found in the valley of the Connecticut. Although com- 

 posed of numerous varieties of rock, the prevailing color is red ; and 

 the reddest varieties are most liable to decomposition ; viz. a red slate 

 and a red sandstone. No rock in the State disintegrates so easily as 

 this : nor has any other so impressed its peculiar characters upon the 

 soil. In Long Meadow, Wilbraham, Southwick, West Springfield, 

 Easthampton, and Greenfield, it is common to see tracts of consider- 

 able extent, where the diluvium and tertiary are chiefly swept away, 

 exhibiting that reddish aspect, which in England is so characteristic 

 of soils derived from this formation. The Devonshire butchers, it is 

 said, are able to distinguish the sheep raised on this soil, by the color 

 of their fleece ; and many local names in that country originated 

 from the same circumstance ; such as Rougemont Castle, in Exeter ; 

 Red Hill and Redford, in Somersetshire ; Red Brook, in Gloucester- 

 shire ; Red Mire, Rotherham, &c. in Yorkshire. 



The new red sandstone is said to be associated with some of the 

 most fertile land in England ; especially that variety of the rock de- 

 nominated red marl. It is distinguished for the excellence of its 

 wheat, barley, beans, and cider. The sand resulting from the decom- 

 position of the coarser varieties of the rock, produces most of the rye 

 grown in England. In that country, however, this formation contains 



