DEFIANCE COUNTY. 433 
the west, yet in some places between Farmer Center and Williams 
Center it has a marked descent both ways. At the former place there is 
a half mile interval between this and the Van Wert Ridge, and the 
country is generally somewhat broken. The Van Wert Ridge is easily 
discernible at this point in but few places. Between Defiance and 
Independence the Maumee River shows two terraces besides the flood- 
plain, the height of the bank being about equally divided between them. 
The upper terrace, or that which furnishes the ascent to the level of the 
country, does not accompany this river further than Independence, but 
seems to merge into the inner margin of the Blanchard Ridge, and 
thence to strike off in opposite directions at right angles from the river, 
while a little further east the gravelly Belmore Ridge rises and accom- 
panies it toward the north and south. This terraced condition of the 
Maumee is not seen at any other place below this point. It is, however, 
seen at Fort Wayne, and for a few miles below, where the river crosses 
the St. Mary’s Ridge. In the same manner, there the upper bench strikes 
away from the river and forms the inner margin of the St. Mary’s Ridge. 
, On the N. EK. 4 section 24, Defiance, in the bank of a little ravine known 
as Sulphur Hollow, a section of the Drift was seen, as follows: 
No. 1. Sandy loam, forming the surface soil........ MeVeSobotseusesecuncalanvec sues 4 ft. 
ne LL OM ATMA COCY CLA Ve utc delvessvesclusesvaeiiesederistasvessceuesasioalscgeineeeire Ovi 
** 3. Bluish-brown hard-pan, containing gravel, stones, and small 
bowlders that are scratched as if glaciated, very hard, and 
COMM ACTON rese esa incu Ua onennat semen aud ias we Naan sence Saas 4 “ 
‘““ 4. Fine sand in distinct, oblique stratification ; seen, about......... Sic 
MOG ecireslorceen) cclennwerinccnncclenlveseisssselseecetnasunaaenleceser conc esses ZO 
Between Defiance and the 8. H. + section 30, in Richland, the surface 
is clayey, high, and somewhat gravelly when not covered with lake sand. 
For about a mile out from Defiance the soil is quite fine, and is appar- 
ently of the nature of the “beeswax soil” already mentioned. The ridge, 
in section 28, Richland, is thirty feet high, with a conspicuous descent 
into a flat, having the Black Swamp features, in both directions. This 
ridge here is considerably enlarged by lake sand, and doubtless lay as a 
sand-bar, where waves broke in high winds when the lake had suffi- 
ciently retired. This is the Belmore Ridge. There are two ridges of 
sravel, each like the Belmore Ridge, running south from the Maumee to. 
Ayersville, and further east. About Ayersville they are covered with 
sand, and roads cross from one to the other on ridges of sand. This has 
given the idea that the divergence is there, the sand not being distin- 
guishable from the gravel. The outer one of these two ridges runs to 
