34 
[Assembly 
54. Beds of gypsum occur in various parts of Monroe county. 
Specimens of the foliated variety, with a rose colour, have been found 
below the Genesee Falls at Rochester, and nodules of snowy gypsum 
are quite common in the calciferous slate at the same place. Gypsum 
is also obtained in small quantities in the towns of Pittsford, Riga and 
Chili; but, according to Mr. Hall, the workable beds of this mineral 
are almost wholly confined to the southern part of the county. "Along 
the valley of Allen's creek and Mill creek, two miles north, most of 
the plaster of Monroe county is obtained. Both these places are 
in the town of Wheatland. At present, about 5,000 tons of plaster 
per annum are obtained from this town; of this quantity, 4,000 tons 
are used in Monroe county."* 
55. In the counties of Cayuga, Wayne, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca 
and Tompkins, beds of gypsum have been found in various places; but 
I have no means of determining even the probable quantity which they 
yield. 
56. The localities of this mineral in Niagara county are of conside- 
rable interest to the mineralogist. At Lockport, beautiful specimens 
of transparent selenite and snowy gypsum have been found, associated 
with pearl spar, sulphate of strontian, and the rare anhydrite or anhy- 
drous sulphate of lime. Snow white granular gypsum also occurs near 
the Falls of Niagara, with occasional specimens of foliated selenite of 
a fine sky-blue colour. At all these localities, the gypsum is imbedded 
in the geodiferous lime-rock of Professor Eaton, but it does not, to my 
knowledge, occur in quantities sufficient for useful purposes. 
57. A very imperfect idea of the quantity of gypsum which exists 
in this State, will be obtained from the sketch which has now been 
given. Even if we had the means of ascertaining exactly the number 
of tons at present annually raised, which I think cannot be less than 
50,000, it should be borne in mind that regular explorations are seldom 
undertaken, and that the amount, whatever it may be, is mainly the 
result of accidental discovery, and of occasional labor by the farmer 
during the intervals ot his other avocations. Immense beds still lie 
unopened, which will at some future day yield their treasures. Per- 
haps one reason why greater attention has not been paid to the enor- 
mous deposits of gypsum and marl which exist in the western part of 
the State is, that the soil is naturally so fertile as seldom to require the 
employment of those artificial means of renovation which in most other 
HalUs Report for 1838. 
