214 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
charged with a solution of lime, percolates through the rocks 
■and, encountering the air, leaves a portion of its burden upon 
the surface of the rock from which it drips, called a stalactite, 
and another portion upon the surface below, which receives the 
name of stalagmite. The rock enclosing the Richland Marble 
has been mostly removed by denuding forces, and the cave in 
which its percolating waters trickled down drop by drop to 
form this calcareous deposit, has been left without roof, floor 
or enclosing w r alls ; yet the evidence of its existence is left in 
these scattered remains of its once splendid stalactites. We 
laugh at the brilliant absurdity of the swallow holes left stick¬ 
ing out of the cliff, after its face had caved off, but no very 
powerful imagination is required to see on the banks of Bear 
creek, where the great lower limestone has melted down 
beneath storm and flood, the magnificent cavern on whose walls 
hung splendid icicles of spar, and whose floor was once studded 
with forms not less fanciful and beautiful than those of the 
great cave of Kentucky. But, well adapted as these spars 
were to furnish the interior of a cave, truth compels us to 
admit that they are now worthless except as'Cabinet specimens. 
It is a matter of regret that our State, so rich in good stone, 
should have sent a block of this worthless material as its con¬ 
tribution to the Washington Monument. This block, prepared 
with great care and expense, now lies decaying in the yard of 
the Monument grounds. Some portions of the bed might be 
used for turning into small ornaments, but for Architectural 
purposes it is worthless on account of its softness and open 
texture, which renders it liable to absorb water and disintegrate 
by freezing. 
In the opening of quarries a knowledge of practical Geology 
will often be found of incalculable advantage. An acquain¬ 
tance with the succession of the strata often enables one to 
determine the position of those which contain valuable stone. 
From want of this easily acquired information we see daily 
mistakes and losses. Building stones, lime and sand, are often 
obtained from distant localities, where they could be found by 
sinking a few feet in the earth at immensely less expense. In 
