Great Greywacke Region of the State of New- York. 85 



sentiment is undergoing a rapid change, favourable to the fertility 

 of the soil of this region. Wherever this tract of country is not 



proach Lake Erie, there is a rich loam in which all kinds of grain 

 and fruit come to great perfection. The soil of this region evi- 

 dently wears better, and requires less manure than that of a lime- 

 stone region. 



The cattle from some parts of it are in higher repute in Phila- 

 delphia, than any other. The pure springs of water with which it 

 abounds, make it one of the healthiest parts of our country, and the 

 increase of its population is now very rapid. This, in 1825, 

 amounted (the part of it in our own state is meant) to more than 

 350,000, and it is now greatly augmented. 



Some of our mineralogists have doubted whether the rock of 

 this region was, properly speaking, greywacke ; but of this there 

 can be but little question. Professor Jameson describes grey- 

 wacke, as composed of sand connected together by a basis of clay 

 slate. A minute inspection of the rock of this region will convince 

 any one that our greywacke has these component parts. 



In one place however, near the head waters of one of the branch- 

 es of Broken Straw creek, about twenty miles from Lake Erie, and 

 at an elevation of more than 600 feet above the surface of the lake , 

 large masses of greywacke are found in place, in which are im- 

 bedded and intermixed sand and pebbles, exactly resembling those 

 found on the shores of the lake. 



It is known that in the greywacke regions of Europe, this kind 

 of rock is uncommonly productive of metalliferous ores, both in 

 beds and veins ; but as yet they have not been discovered in that 



In the principality of Transylvania, in Europe, the greywacke 

 is traversed by numerous small veins of gold. The greywacke 

 soil of this principality, like ours, is fertile and abounds in rich 



The alluvions, and second bottoms, on the streams and in the 

 vallies of our greywacke region, possess uncommon fertility, and 

 will ere long, it is believed, furnish immense quantities of hemp, as 

 measures are in progress for the general introduction of this staple 

 into the region. 



