334 
GEOLOGY OF THE SECOND DISTRICT. 
Soil. 
The soil of the first and second tier of townships from the Provincial line, is probably as 
good as any in the State, Some parts, it is true, are sandy, but it is still susceptible of high 
cultivation, and yields abundant crops. The thermometer has, however, rather too wide a range 
for a very profitable farming country. The soil in the southern townships is not, generally at 
least, so good as that in the northern. In the vicinity of the Saranac lakes, the country is too 
damp, and the surface too much broken and filled with boulders to form an arable soil, and 
a very large proportion of the southern part of the county is in the same condition. 
In addition to the boulders I have mentioned, those of primary limestone are found scattered 
over the surface in Duane. Their source has not been ascertained : but inasmuch as primary 
limestone is rarely found far from its parent bed, I infer that they must have their origin in 
the immediate vicinity. They contain fine purple scapolite, and green pyroxene in crystals ; 
and what is quite rare, perfect six-sided tables of graphite. 
Superficial Deposits. 
Besides the ordinary drift of the country, a few beds of bog iron ore, tufa and peat, are known 
to exist, but in quite limited areas. At Westville, a bed of ore of this kind supplies two 
forge fires. The ore is continually increasing by deposition from water. Several other smaller 
beds are known also in this place. At Malone, bog ore is found at several places. But gene¬ 
rally the deposits in this county are unimportant. Tufa is deposited largely from a spring in 
Chateaugay. The only fact worth attention is the source from whence the water obtains the 
calcareous matter, the whole country being primary, and destitute of limestone rocks. Peat 
is more or less abundant in the deep swamps in the interior and southern part of the county. 
The superficial deposits require merely this passing notice. 
