No. 200.] 
277 
accessible to destractive agents, thereby more largely contributing to 
the forming of soil and furnishing a better oncj than either alone. 
The shales and sandstone of the lower part of Salmon river, cover all 
that part of Oneida county, which lies between Lewis county north, 
the millstone grit south, the black shale east, and a curved line which 
passes west of Taberg village, through the eastern end of Florence. 
Though it is exceedingly probable, that the high ground on the north- 
eastern side of Florence, is occupied by the green and red sandstone, 
the next rocks, which, always north of a line, passing by the northern 
side of Oneida lake, succeed or follow the shales, whilst the millstone 
grit south of that line, as invariably follow the same shales, showing 
that the grit thins out and disappears in a northerly direction. 
The shales and their sandstone north of the canal are not much quar- 
ried. Their fragments are very common in many parts of this area, not 
covered by alluvial, and form the common enclosures of the country. 
But to the south of the canal, near Rome, there are several quarries, as 
WhitalPs, Talcott's and Woodruff. The two latter are in thicker and 
more irregular layers of a light grayish green. They form the upper 
or newest part of the mass. Besides building stone, Mr. Woodruff's 
quarry furnishes grindstones. As is frequently the case, the mixture of 
shales and sandstone contains pyritesj this is exemplified in some of the 
stones of these quarries, showing some iron stains by exposure to the 
air. 
The mineral spring at Hampton village, is in the shale. This spring 
is the result of a boring for coal, which was undertaken by Mr. Hal- 
leck, of Hampton, at the suggestion, some years ago, of an English mi- 
ner. After going 106 feet, water rose above the surface, forming a 
perpetual fountain, which the owner has fitted up for visiters, wisely 
giving up all further search of the object which gave rise to it* The 
spring is much visited. Its analysis was made by Dr. Noyes. 
The same series of rocks which occurs in Herkimer county, above the 
millstone grit, extends through Oneida county, with no variation as to 
the order of the different groups, nor any great variation in the upper 
limestone, the water limestones and the red shale; but with some con- 
siderable variation in the " saliferous rock," or protean group, as might 
be supposed from what had been observed of that group in Herkimer 
county. 
Great difference, however, exist in the extent of surface distribution, 
or in other words, exposure of the same rocks in the two counties, ow- 
