The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1883-03-07
A Geological Survey.


think, prove greatly interesting t.
our readers:
. "The subject of the geological
survey of the State has been attract
ing considerable attention Of late
aud is the subject of a bill now
pending before the Assembly, intro
duced by Mr.. Cobb, OF E. cam bia
The following paper, by Professor
: >. HOST, of Adrian, Mich, is deemed
OF sufficient interest and importance
to take the place OF my usual letter
THE GEOLOGY OF FLORIDA.
of come to you with gold all.
yer aud offers of abundance OF coal
OIL and other articles of great com
merclal Importance, then surely your
readers will be pleased, What then
are the prospects ? Gold has its
nome primarilyin the altered granite,
which is the floor of all the stratitied
rocks. None of this granite is found
at the surface in Florida. The pros.
pect OF the presence of gold here
then will depend on the water shed
from the elevations near by that
nave exposed their altered granite to
olslntegration and aqueous deposi>
ton, with sands and other materials
OF drift. Often it SO happens that
the drstted gold is more accessible
than that in the rock. Do the streams
and surface inclinations in Florida
indicate that the mountains north of |
ns, have II former ages shed thti |
drifts Lliherward9 Or, on the other
hand, does the altered granite, not
dlslntegrated, and not elevated, he
Sufficiently near the surface in Flori-
ga TO warrant a hope OF practical
acce s? This latter question will re.
ceive suggestions further on.
"Silver has its normal home, also. in
the altered granite, and its next
neighbor above-the silurian deposit.
It's presence in Florida therefore. in
20 taras available import is concerned
depends on the nearness of its an.
oroach or position to the surface in
he State, and as in the former case
OF gold) will receive some sugges.
ions in what will be stated below.
Copper is found in Wisconsin and
bout Lake Superior, ID the upper
( Ach l3an nani nsnla naastiv In .thal.I
|silurian. In North Georgia and
Western North Carolina and Tennes
zee it is in the same formation largely.
Practical access here to the silurian
formation, therefore, will determine
the prospects as to copper mainly.
"Lead has its place in the siluriau
formation also; so has zinc and
nickle.
"Coal and oil are the products of
vegetable deposits in the carbonifer-
GUS formation. The vegetation which
formed the coal and oil was deposits
ed under the water, in estuaries or
basins OF quiet water, otherwise it
could not be formed. The subse-
quent elevation OF islands aud CONT
nents has made the coal and oil de.
posits accessible. The carboniferous
formation, having its position above
the silurian, brings the coal in reach
from the surface more commonly
than the deposits OF the latter, in all
places where the former formations
exist and this is more common than
the other Coal and oil are, therefore
in better prospect than the precious
metals. And besides this, it is we'll
known that available deposits OF coal
are found in later formations than the
carbonitsrous. The tertiary OF the
eastern slopes OF the Rocky Mouu-
talns in British America and the
States TO the south thereof, contain
veins of coal, six feet and upwards
In thickness of good coal. One
notable instance occurs also III Vir-
giria, near Richmond, as also others
Ill many localities in the Western
tertiaries. The Florida tertiary may
have important coal beds, even if
those OF the carboniferous deposits
are out OF reach. But are they?
Oil is the product of Installation from
the coal in the conversion of bitum~
inous to the various anthracite varies
ties OF coal. The petroleum, being
lighter than water, is ever lifted to.
ward and out of the surface. When
still held in the rocks and their cavi-
ties it is by the'overlYing of compact
! lavers that prevent its escape,
Where these conditions exist, there's
fore, oil may be found in any deposit
everything the carboniferous torma>
ton. Florida, therefore, may have
oil in its deposits. Shall we make
the effort to ascertain =?
"Iron exists in all the stratified or
donoSi,;op rooks aDd THAR claws and