Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-02-14
VOL. IS. NO. 40.
eE0L0GY0F THE Lead REGION.
from chamberlain's Geology of Wisconsin.

appears W oe uerlVeO directly from
the decay disintegration of the strata
of which it is the residuum. South
OF the principal watershed, the sub.
soil il clay, almost without execution
having a thickness of from three ID
SIX feet, depending on the configura
ton OF the underlying rock formation
This is the average thickness, on com.
paratively level land on side hills il
is usually much thinner, the greater
part having been washed down into
the valley below. The clay soils and
subsoils appear to consist chiefly OF
those portions of the everything Galena
limestone, and earthly Cincinnati
shales, which being insoIuble in wa
ter, were not removed by the gradual
process of denudatlon.
The amount of lime, magnesia, and
alkaline earths in the subsoil and soil.
together with the vegetable mold in
the latter, constitute a soil, which, in
Its virgin state, is unsurpassed for
richness and fertility The number
OF successive wheat crops which have
been raised, without regard to rota.
ton, on some Of our prairie farms, at
test Its native strength; as also the
marked decline in fertility of the soil
when this has been done, shows the
inevitable retribution which follows
the practice.
Exceptions to the clay soil, usually
found in the country covered by the
Galena limestone, are found in the
eastern part Of La Fayette, and fire
quently in Green county, where the
soil is quite sandy, owing to the dis
Indignation of calcareous sand LAYERS
frequently found there in that forma-
ton. A few localities are cited be.
low, where the sand was so abundant.
that the formation might have been
considered a sandstone, were it not
tor the occasional outcrops of Galena
limestone IN place. In the western
part of the town of Jordan, r. 2, r.
f., 9, in Secs. 2, II and IA, the ridges
have great deal of sand contained in
the soil. The roads are frequently
sandy, similar to those in a sandstone
formation. Lying entirely without the
limits of the Drift, this circumstance
led to a search for and discovery of
the original beds.
AT the village of Martin, in the s.
+. Or of Sec. 80, T. 1, r. 6, E., on
the Pecatonica river, at the saw-mill,
is a large stone quarry, of which the
upper portion consists of Galena lime
stone in thin beds. containing consid-
cradle calcareous sand between the
layers. This is the first locality where
the sand was found in place.
On the ridge near the quarter-post
Of 20 and 80, T. 2, r. 6, E a great
deal of sand was seen at an elevation
Of $50 feet above the top of the st.
Peters; numerous connections of iron
were also found, similar to those usu-
ally found in the upper bed of that
formation. East of the center of Sec.
"a, L. 8, r. 6, E. is another sandy
ridge.
The agencies of the glacial period
do not appear to have had anything
to do with transporting the compo-
nent materials of the soil, and al.
though slight transportation has
taken place, it is always merely local.
For instance, in the valleys of the
creeks which lie in the st. Peters
sandstone, the soil is usually a rich
clay loan, richer in fact than that of
the adjacent ridges, because the best
parts of the upland soils have been
washed down, aud distributed over
the surface of the valley.
A similar transportation may be OBJ
served in passing up any long, and
moderately steep hill, which includes
several formations; such hills being
very common north Of the principal
watershed. Let US suppose one.
whose summit is composed of Galena
limestone, and whose base lies in the
Lower Magnetism. Scattered about
the base will be seen many loose
pieces of Lower Magnetism limestone,
mixed with less numerous powders of
st. Peters sandstone: still less numer.
Gus and smaller pieces of the Buff and
Blue CTrenton) limestone, while frag-
ments of the Galena limestone will be
comparatively rare. On ascending
the hill and ARRIVING at the st. Peters,
fragments of Lower Magnetism will
no longer be seen while those of the
upper formation will become larger
and more numerous. On arriving at
the Buff limestone, the fragments of
st. Peters sandstone will also have
disappeared, fragments of Blue lime
stone will be very numerous and east.
ly recognized by their white color,
and their general rounded and worn
appearance. On reaching the summit
Of the hill, no fragments of stone will
be found, except such as are derived
from the subjacent Galena limestone.
One prominent feature of the soil will
be the prevalence of fiints, which are
nearly indestructible, aud often form
a large component part. From the
of the surface soil and
fragmentary rock, it is evident that
the rock of any formation is never
found above the level from which it
was detached.
Peat. While on the subject of sur
face soil and srbsoil, it is desired to
report two places in Green county
which afford the only approach to this
useful article, which has been OBJ
served in the Lead region. The first
is situated on Jordan creek, in the E.
hf. of Secs. 81 and %, T. Q, r. 6, E..
aud comprises from one hundred and
fifty to two hundred acres. The
other locality is on the Little Sugar
river, near the center of Sec. IL, T. 8,
r. Z, E. As the conditions under
which they exist are similar, one de-
scription will serve for both.
The turf is underlaid by an imper-
vious stratum of blue clay, which
holds tie water and nourishes veg
etable growth about four feet thick,
which, in this section of the country,
is known as peat. When cut and
dried, it burns similarly to peat, but
with so large residuum of clay, sand
ashes, as to render it unfit for eco
nomic purposes.
Brick Clay. Clay suitable for max.
ing brick is found in many parts of