No. 200.] 
2311 
cept as reservoirs of rain water. I conjecture, therefore, that this stra- 
tum contains large quantities of the sulphates, and probably carbonates 
also. As there can be little doubt but that the carbonated springs at 
different locations, belong to the same formation. There is a great uni- 
formity in the character of the water in the clays of Champlain, St* 
Lawrence, and the Hudson. All of them contain the sulphate of mag- 
nesia, more or less, at different places. This salt is evidently diffused 
through the whole body of it, but more abundant in some locations than 
others, and its diffusion and incorporation with the clays, shows, by ana- 
logy, that other salts may also be diffused through certain rocks, and 
constitute reservoirs of saline matter, without the existence of solid 
beds. It goes to confirm the views of Prof. Eaton, expressed long ago, 
in relation to the brine springs of the west. A specimen of saline wa- 
ter, taken from the spring near Crown Point, had a specific gravity of 
1,014. A thousand parts, by weight, contain 18.78 of saline matter, 
the greater part of which is sulphate of magnesia, with a portion of sul- 
phate of lime. 
Economical uses of the Clays, 
The clays of the tertiary beds, more particularly the lowest stratum, 
usually called blue clay, are suitable for the manufacture of brick and 
coarse pottery. The presence of carbonate of lime renders it easily fu- 
sible, and of course unfit for the manufacture of those articles requiring 
great heat. Search should be made for beds of clay, free from lime, 
and those may perhaps be found in the very lowest of the strata. 
The upper stratum of the yellow clay will serve an excellent purpose 
in the sandy soils, more or less common along the whole extent of the 
lake, especially where the shells are the most abundant. A liberal use 
of this marly clay cannot fail to benefit the loose and porous sands, si- 
milar to those of Keeseville, Port Kent, &c. Those clays which are 
charged with the sulphates, as sulphate of lime and magnesia, in addi- 
tion to their valuable properties as marly clays, or those containing 
carbonate of lime, have an additional value as manures. It is desira- 
ble that those who have it in their power to experiment on the use of 
clays* and sands, in changing the condition of their arable lands, will 
* The following paragraph was observed in the Boston Traveller, after the above was pre- 
pared, which I take the liberty to copy. 
Clay. — As the beneficial effects of clay on light and sandy soils is so generally understood 
and acknowledged, we are surpirsed that it is not more extensively used in ameliorating the 
condition of soils of this nature. A gentleman of this town informs us that in many cases he 
considers clay altogether preferable to manure, from his own experience in the matter. Four 
or five years since, he had carted, on a lot of small extent, a considerable quantity of clay, 
which was spread over the surface to the depth of three or four inches. This was left until 
dry, when it was rolled; the lot was then planted with potatoes, which yielded a great crop. 
The succeeding year the lot was ploughed, and seeded down with hemp; the crop that follow- 
