448 
[Assembly 
cy of lime and vegetable matter can be thus supplied, and the soil ren- 
dered light and productive.* 
Clay, — Almost every town contains this substance, in sufficient pu- 
rity for brick making. It underlies many of the swamps, is found along 
the sides of the Genesee valley, and in almost all the low grounds, it 
appears as the last deposit of the subsiding waters. 
Springs. — Those of pure water are abundant in the southern coun- 
ties, gushing out from the hill sides, and sending cool and refreshing 
streams along the valleys. 
Hydrosulphuretted springs are very numerous. The most important 
of these are at Avon, Livingston county ; these have already been exa- 
mined by Dr. Beck.f They have their origin like those of Manches- 
ter, Ontario county, in the hydraulic limestone, near its junction 
with the limestone above. The upper spring is at too high a level for 
this, but from information obtained, the water rises from a rock, four- 
teen feet below the surface of the soil where it appears. The Avon 
springs, are very copious and highly impregnated. There are three or 
four at nearly the same level as the lower spring, and one still lower 
in the valley, has recently been fitted up for the accommodation of visit- 
ers. 
So far as my observations extend, all the copious sulphur springs in 
the fourth geological district, arise from the hydraulic limestone. Small 
springs of this kind, occur in nearly all the shales above the Onondaga 
limestone. One of these is found at Moscow, several in Steuben, at 
Cuba, in Allegany ; and in Cattaraugus. 
* For important information on the use of peat or muck, see the Report of Dr. Jack- 
son, Geologist to the State of Maine, for 1839. 
Note. — Among the applications of marl to economical purposes, the following is, I 
think^ new. During the last summer, I met in Ontario county, an itinerant, who was 
vending an article for cleaning knives, silver, brass and copper utensils, and it was like- 
wise recommended as a dentifrice. Large quantities had been sold to universal satis- 
faction. The fine variety, proved to be a fine pulverulent marl, moulded into the form 
of a brick ; it still contained small freshwater shells. The other was a more siliceous 
variety, probably containing some of the microscopic infusoria. In many places where 
this was sold, thousands of loads could be obtained within a mile. 
t See Report of Dr. Beck, for 1838, 
