62 THE CLAYS OF AKKANSAS. 
CRAIGHEAD COUNTY. 
GENERAL GEOLOGY. 
The eastern half of Craighead County is occupied by St. Francis 
River, the Hatchie Coon sunk lands, and a broad belt of low, 
undrained swamp lands, which extend westward to the narrow 
fringe of post-oak lands adjacent to Crowleys Ridge. 
The country east of Lake City is made up of sunken lands that 
are subject to frequent overflow, except along some of the slightly 
elevated areas which are covered with "sandblows." The sand- 
blows consist of fine white sand which has accumulated in small, 
more or less separate areas and is surrounded by darker colored 
loam or sand. The country from Lake City to Nettleton is a flat 
buckshot soil, with a growth of scrubby willow oak, post oak, black 
oak, and an occasional hickory, white oak, and persimmon. The 
long-trunked sweet gum and cottonwood are entirely absent. 
In the southern part of Craighead County Crowleys Ridge is 
but one-half mile across, narrower than at any other point between 
the Missouri line and Helena except where it is cut in two by L'An- 
guille River in Lee County. North of Jonesboro it widens out, 
and near the northern border of the county it is broader than at 
any other point in the State. 
The white buckshot land extends westward from the foot of Crow- 
leys Ridge to within about one-half mile of Cache River. Cache 
River bottom is from 6 to 10 feet lower than the buckshot land to the 
east, and along the railroad in the northwest corner of the county it 
is 1 mile wide. 
The top of the ridge throughout the county is generally covered 
with buff-gray to yellowish loess. This is underlain by coarse gravel, 
which in places has become cemented into a compact conglomerate. 
In the northern part of Craighead County the eastern slope of the 
ridge is more gentle than on the western side. The western slope is 
very precipitous and affords a better opportunity for the study of 
the stratigraphy of the ridge. 
The following section, obtained 4 miles west of south of Lorado, in 
Craighead County, affords the best exposure of the Tertiary in the 
county: 
Section 4 miles west of south of Lorado, on the old William Lane place. 
Feet. 
Yellowish to Indian red clay on tob of ridge 40 
Coarse gravel (Lafayette) 2- 8 
Very hard, coarse-grained white sandstone, which in places has 
become a quartzite 15 
Variegated cross-bedded sands interbedded with stratified clays.. 15 
