320 The American Geologist. May, i89i 
the range on the upper tier, descending' to the adjoining square mile or section on 
the second tier, and returning hack on that tier to the meridian of the starting 
point, descending here to the adjoining section of the lower tier, and thus zigzag- 
ging till the last section of that range is reached at the meridian of starting. These 
sections are each divided into quarter sections or squares of half a mile on the 
si ili'. and are called northeast, northwest, southeast or southwest quarter sections 
•of such a section, range, and township. 
The ahove information is from Mr. Wilson, assistant to major Fitzhugh. 
Note II. 
The following is an extract from page 83 of the State geological report for 1886 : 
"Though the soils of this county are naturally poor for our great staples, cot- 
ton and corn, still by frequent light dressings, judiciously applied, of a compost 
containing lime, they can be made to average two hundred and fifty pounds of 
lint cotton to the acre, of much better staple than that of more favored regions. 
They can also be made to yield some twenty-five bushels of corn to the acre. 
These products, however, are not the crops for the "Hill country of Alabama:" 
and, the sooner our people find it out, the better it will be for them and the State. 
This mountain soil, with a little strengthening, as well as the climate, is especi- 
ally adapted to the raising of fruits, vegetables and grasses, and in proportion as 
these crops are cultivated, and cotton and corn let alone, will this beautiful and 
healthy region blossom and bear fruit." 
Note III. 
In the official State geological report for 1886, the section of strata found in 
the Jefferson mines includes the series of the general section from below the 
Black Creek seam (No. 14) to No. 1 8. The Newcastle seam is No. 21, and is there- 
fore not included. This is also made still more clear from the blue print of the 
region kindly made for me by major Fitzhugh. on which the outcrop of the New- 
castle vein is seen to enclose a region entirely to the south of the Warrior, Brake 
and Jefferson mines. 
Note IV. 
It is in the opinion of the writer a mistake to use the coke made from the 
Pratt, Newcastle, Jefferson and Warrior seams without previous preparation. 
Favorable contracts for preparing these coals for coking could be made, which 
would leave a good profit to the coke manufacturer, while the efficiency of the 
■coke would be thereby raised. By washing, the percentages of ash, phosphorus 
and sulphur would be reduced, and the product would be made equal in value to 
Connellsville or Pocahontas coke. 
The Black Creek coal seam seems to be the only one which is free enough 
from these impurities to warrant its use without preparation. These observations 
are made with deference to the large experience and extensive knowledge of iron 
making of the iron masters of Alabama, and without such a systematic study of 
the subject as would be necessary in order to enable the writer to discuss the 
•question on equal terms with them. Nevertheless, the conviction of their gen- 
eral correctness grows stronger with every addition to the writer's store of facts. 
It would be well to allow the experiment to be tried in a small way in any case. 
LAKE SUPERIOR STRATIGRAPHY. 
By Andrew C. Lawson, Berkeley. 
In a recent paper by Prof. Van Hise, entitled ' < An attempt to 
harmonize some apparently conflicting views of Lake Superior 
Stratigraphy,"* a new view is advanced as to the position of the 
*Am. Jour. Sci. Vol. XLI, Feb., 1891. 
