The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-03-05

-uos 7d- at,sf a.3 fcg
4 of our soils by analysis, showing Whal
, fertilizing Ingredients they lack, as vel
. as what they have, would be pFsguanl
T with suggestions as to their fitness fOl
2 particular crops and the proper method
: for their culture; Wills, on the Other
D hand, a knowledge Of the character,
distribution and adaptstioDs Of our
: mineral mapures will point out the
sources from whicn the deficient ingte-
dients may be supplied. Gypsum,
} marls, phosphates and limestone Of
/ which contain ten per cent Of potash
) and soda-are known to exist in Ohio,
!, and, if discovered in considerable guam
j titles would produce the moat impor-
/ tant results, as they have in some coun-
j tries of Europe, in repairing the annual
: exhaustion by culture, 80 su y.
I Of not less importance to agriculture
fin large sections Of the State would be
knowledge geological survey would
give Of the adaptations Of the undeFly-
ling strata for purposes Of drainage An
understanding Of the minerals compos-
ling what is known as the "drih forma-
ltien," and the order Of their ssraitifea-
fltion, would be Of great value to farmers
In this respect. In many low and vet
lplsces where a bed of gravel undeFlies
an impervious stratum Of clay, it Is only
necessary to pierce through the clay By
Ia well or shaft, and the gravel viii a6-
lsOrb, ike sponge, ali the surface
water. But 70 do 50 simple a thing, It
lis necessary that the farmer should know
all about the position of the clay and
gravel
0hio's rapid growth in population, and
its sequence, the increasing reduction
in her agricultural export, create AZ adj
ditional neeessitity from year to year,
for the Development Of her mining and
manufacturing interests. By this
means better home market will be
provided for the products Of her soil,
while, at the same time, there will
come, with new sources Of wealth, new
demands for labor, which would give
employment for our surplus population.
The agricultural resources Of Ohio,
great as they are, scarcely equal those
which lie beneath her surface, and which
promise an exhaustless field TO her gen
ius, labor and capital.
Coal, as a source Of motive power
and fuel for manufacture Of iron, is
probably 0hio's ''best cardD--the source
whence she will draw millions Of an
nual revenue when her broad acres,
from exhaustive culture or simple in
adequate production, are incapable Of
feeding her mining and manufacturing
population. Yet ourimmenss coal field
has never had anything Ike thorough |
exploration. For want of knoWledge of
the local geological structure, including
the number, position and qualities Of |
the beds Of coal and their associated
ores, millions Of dollars in these forms |
are believed 10 lie iH some counties IN
known and unsuspeeted. Great Britain
owes her wealth and power mainly to
her coal mines, from which she takes
annually hundred million tons, and |
derives power equal to sixty millions
of men and yet Great Britain bas no
more Of this main-spring of power than
Ohio. But if We would bring these
vast coal beds into the line Of produc-
tive wealth, we must, after the example
of the English Government provide
for their semitic examination, with re-
ference to their location, quality and
accessibility, and their various uses in
manufacturing and foF household pur-
poses.
A single example Of what may be
gained in this way may be mentioned. |
The Briar Hill seams Of coal, mined at
Youngstown and vicinity, is very su-
perior coal, and is extensively used in
the raw state for the manufactur of iron.
The exact geological equivalent of this
coal is found at Jackson, jackson coun-
ty, where its quality for iron-making is
superlstive, and where it is largely used
in the raw state. These two points are
wide apart May not the seam be found
at intermediate points, and also at
points between Jackson and the Ohio
riverl No intelligent search has been
made. The finding Of this single seam
Of coal at new points along the line of
the outcrop Of our lower coal measures
would be worth millions Of dollars to i
the State.
The same may be said in regard to
the search at new points for black band |
iron ore, the discovery Of which in
revolutionized her iron trade,
and was productive Of great wealth.
This ore has been found and worked at
one or two points in the State, but no
search for it has ever been
made in other parts Of our coal meas
ures, o
Another important and desirable
work is the careful analysis and metal
lurgical study of our various iron ores.
The mixture of Ohio with Michigan
iron, by which both sre said to be i'm
proved, is already becoming the basis
Of an interest in one section Of the State,
while similar mixture with Missouri
ron promises equally profitable results
n another. 1t is matter of great i'm
Dortance to the interests Of the State
hat these discoveries should be scien-
ifcally followed out
Not less important, also, is the study
# our native ores, out Of the great va
iety Of which only a few as yet are |.
lsed, the rejected ores being feared
rom their supposed combination with
leleteFious substances. By proper
mixtures the effects of these dreaded :
dement's are neutralizsd, and it is be-
ieyed that the rejected ores, which are
'ften the most abundant and accessible,
nay IN this way be utilized.
There is also a pressing need Of a
'ettef knowledge Of the quality, guam
ity and distribution Of our potters'
lays brick cays, gypsum, lines, hy- 6
.raubc cements, peat glass, sand, min 9
raj paints, mineral phOsphstes, salines, .
sis, oil shaleE building stones. grind q
taues, mineral waters, DC. OF all these !
re have large quantities of excellent I
uality, but they are generally permit
ed 10 lie uneared for and almost un- Il
uOwn. Most Of our friedrich are i'm .
oFted from other States, while We have j
n abundant supply Of materials for I,
heir manufacture, quite as good as :
hose from which the AUboy brick, or