76 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
origin in the destruction of ancient rocks ; which, in the 
early geological period, covered the earth’s surface. The 
o-ranite formed the first stratum or platform, on which all 
other formations are rested. At the commencement of the 
first geological period all rocks lay in a horizontal position. 
During the early and middle geological periods, the whole 
of the earth’s surface was subject to great and intense dis¬ 
turbance, caused by the action of intense subterranean heat 
and volcanic action ; continents and islands were by the 
process of upheaval, elevated above the surface of the ocean. 
During the violent throes and convulsions which occurred 
at these periods in the elevation of continents and islands 
above the surface of the ocean, in many parts of the eaith, 
their stratas of rocks were twisted, bent, tilted, or thrown 
out of place, and often lay with a heavy dip; or in a verti¬ 
cal position, in mountain ranges, hills and elevated plains. 
During these geological periods intense heat prevailed on 
the earth’s surface, causing dense vapors and a great 
amount of rainfall on mountains, hills and plains, then ele¬ 
vated above the ocean’s surface; forming rivers and streams, 
with rapid currents, plunging down mountain and hill-sides 
with great force, scooping out canyons, gorges, ravines and 
deep valleys on mountains and hill-sides, disintegrating 
rocks from their beds, grinding, decomposing and pulver¬ 
izing them to atoms while drifting their debiis to oceans, 
seas’ bays and lakes, which were continually receding by 
the process of elevation o. land above theii suifacc, foim- 
incr large tracts of diluvial soils, on both continents. Din¬ 
ing the long succession of ages in which these diluvial or 
drift-soils were forming, the great heat ana immense rain¬ 
fall which prevailed during the receding of waters of oceans 
and seas and the formation of diluvial soils, caused an im¬ 
mense and luxuriant growth of vegetation on the earth s 
surface. The decayed matter of this vegetation intermix¬ 
ing with the materials of these diluvial soils or drift-forma¬ 
tions, in most parts of both continents, formed soils of great 
fertility. The greater portion of the great basin drained 
by the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers and their 
branches, and the lake system of North America, are soils 
of this character ; formed mainly by the decomposition and 
pulverization of rocks underlying these diluvial deposits, 
drifted from a distance. These formations are wonderfully 
rich in calcareous, saline and alkaline matter, and mineral 
