No. 200.J 
363 
Soil 
The soil between the mountain and the lake ridges contains a large 
proportion of clay, although extremely fertile. The lake ridge and the 
soil, for a limited distance, on either side, is sandy or gravelly. North 
of the ridge road, the soil for a short distance is clayey, except along 
the streams, where it is sandy. North of this point, to the lake shore, 
the prevailing soil is sandy loam, of a yellowish colour, inclining to 
brown where the sandstone approaches the surface, as it does in many 
places. It contains carbonate of lime, which often cements the gravel 
below the surface. All kinds of crops flourish on this soil; and wheat 
in Niagara is considered better than in the counties adjoining. 
The indurated marl, or marly sandstone, does not absorb water, and 
when it approaches the surface, unless on a declivity, the water is too 
long retained. The soil in these cases becomes wet and cold, and in 
rainy seasons the crops are sometimes injured. 
In some places in the northern part of this county there are alterna- 
tions of a clayey with a sandy soil, often several miles in extent. The 
sandy portions are a little elevated above the loam or clay soil, as if 
transported by a gentle current over the bottom of the ancient lake, 
which might move sand; while clay, if once deposited, would be less 
easily moved. 
The soil north of the ridge road seems divided into nearly equal pro- 
portions, in one of which sand predominates, and in the other clay. 
The soil upon the mountain ridge is sand, or sandy loam, for a mile 
or two south, when the proportion of clay increases. Along the Ton- 
newanda, clay soil predominates. This character of the soil is owing 
to the gypseous marls, which are argillaceous, in the lower part of the 
formation. These marls extend into Niagara county, their outcrop be- 
ing a little distance north of the Tonnewanda creek. 
Clays. 
Beds of clay are found in every town in Niagara county, though many 
are of impure quality from admixture of sand and carbonate of lime. 
The demand for bricks has, however, been confined to one or two points, 
and in consequence these beds have not been explored. The prevalence 
of limestone, and limestone shale, more or less affects all the beds of 
clay, except those along the lake shore. 
Many of the bricks manufactured in the county are of inferior qua° 
lity, arising from the use of sandy loam mixed with the clay, instead of 
