PIKE COUNTY. 639 
The conglomerate soils of the eastern uplands of the county need no 
extended remark. There are barren areas within them, derived from 
the pebble beds, without any admixture of shales; but, for the most part, 
they are covered with the forest growth that belongs to thin soils. The 
steep slopes of the hills on the northern sides are always productive. It 
costs much more to till them than to till the great valleys, but the slopes 
are scarcely less productive than the richest of the valleys. 
The first named of the native soils of the county was spoken of as 
specially adapted to the growth of timber and to the production of fruit. 
While the remaining divisions are not limited, as are the shales, to such 
lines of production, it may be said that all of the highlands of the 
county are happily adapted to thesessame interests. For successful fruit- 
growing, the hills of Pike county can not be excelled in southern Ohio. 
By their elevation they gain exemption from late frosts in spring—one of 
the chief obstacles to fruit-growing in the State. A peach crop is very 
seldom forfeited on the high grounds. 
Hor a cause presently to be mentioned, these uplands can not be very 
successfully devoted to stock-raising; nor can cereals be produced from 
them in remunerative degree, if the same system that prevails in the 
valleys is followed here; but an intelligent adaptation of means to ends 
in dealing with them will make them more kindly and more fruitful 
soils than the most favored regions of the New England Siates, or the 
eastern border of the country generally; and however poor these lands 
are now counted in comparison with the beautiful plains below them, we 
may be sure that they contain untold possibilities of agricultural 
wealth, which are certain, at some future day, to be utilized. 
IV. WATER-SUPPLY. 
One topic remains to be discussed, viz., the important one of water- 
supply. This will be considered in connection with the geological divi- 
sions already given. 
1. There are many springs at the lowest geological horizon of the 
county, viz., at the surface of the limestones along the western edge of 
the county. Though issuing from the limestones, they are in almost all 
eases derived from the porous beds of the overlying Huron shales. If 
the springs are weak, and especially if the water moves from them 
slowly, they are very likely to be impregnated with dissolved mineral 
matters, of which sulphur and iron are chief. Such springs invariably 
acquire a local reputation as medicinal, and though, as a rule, pure water 
is to be preferred for human use to supplies that are burdened with min- 
eral matters dissolved from the rocks, the nature of the impurities here 
