102 
ECONOMICAL MINERALOGY. 
A few salines are known to exist in Monroe County, but they are not of any importance 
in an economical point of view. One of these, found many years since, is on the Irondequoit 
bay, two or three miles from Lake Ontario. Salt was at one time manufactured from this 
brine. Another spring, also formerly somewhat worked, is in the town of Greece, two miles 
north of the Ridge road, and nine miles west of the city of Rochester. To these maybe 
added three springs on the banks of Salmon creek in Clarkson, two miles north of Ladd’s 
Corners. Salt springs are moreover of frequent occurrence along almost all the creeks or 
small streams, and salt was formerly manufactured from some of them in small quantities. 
In 1834, salt water was found in Livingston County, two and a half miles southwest of 
York, as I was informed by Mr. E. N. Horsford. Strong brine flowed for a few days from 
the mouth of the well, which was fifty feet in depth ; but it subsequently diminished in quan¬ 
tity, and at length entirely ceased to rise. 
Salt water has been found by boring in the town of Elba, in Genesee County, eight miles 
northwest of Batavia; and this has been pronounced by Mr. Hall as the most copious and 
strongly impregnated saline in the Fourth Geological District. It rises from the true salife¬ 
rous formation, the rock being the same as that found at Salina. 
A number of brine springs have been observed in Orleans County, upon the range of 
sandstone. In the town of Carlton, three or four miles from Lake Ontario, brine has recently 
been obtained, one gallon of which affords eleven ounces of dry saline matter. In this case 
the boring is twenty-six feet through the alluvial, and twenty-seven feet through the red marl 
and sandstone, in which the brine was first observed. If it shall hereafter be found that the 
quantity of brine is sufficient, its strength would probably warrant the manufacture of salt to 
a limited extent, as fuel can be here obtained at a very low price. At Kendall, four miles 
east of the preceding locality, the manufacture of salt is said to have been prosecuted with 
profit, though on a small scale, for the last two years.* On examining this brine, I found it 
to be similar in composition to that from the Onondaga springs, but of inferior strength. At 
Holley village, three salt springs were known, which have yielded a considerable amount of 
salt of a very good quality. The works are now, however, abandoned. To these may be 
added the spring at Oak-orchard, where salt was manufactured by Mr. Bennett, who bored to 
the depth of one hundred and forty feet, without, however, having obtained an increased 
quantity of brine. 
In Niagara County, according to Mr. Hall, several brine springs occur along the course 
of Eighteen-mile creek, between Lockport and Lake Ontario. Brine springs, affording small 
quantities of water, are also found along Golden-hill creek and Johnson’s creek. Salt is said 
to have been formerly made from a spring within three miles of Lockport.f 
In Steuben County, there is a salt spring at Lagrange, in the green shale, from which 
salt was formerly made. It emits bubbles of carburetted hydrogen, but the saline is of no 
importance. 
* For this and the preceding notice, I am indebted to Dr. James M. Allen. This gentleman also informs me, that during the 
last summer (1841), brine springs were frequently met with in deepening wells between the Lockport limestone and Lake Ontario. 
J Hall. New-York Geological Reports, 1838. 
