The Van Buren press., 1896-11-07
GEOLOGIC ADVANTAGES.
An Ezize1. Scientist 81 Soush west.
err Arkansas.
saFs tie MAras, tl.Alks, and 6resasRudas Of
That Reg5oa Are Mere gRlUAfs1e Than
Al tAs G0la Dag Within sAa
Boaads 81 DAlH0rnsz

f = :
f Fe7 of Arkansas. calls marked attention
to The mesoBo5c strata Of southwestern
Arkansas and makes some interesting
statements in regard TO At
For example: Speaking Of the marls,
ehalks and greensands Of that region.
ne prononnoes them more valuable
than al The gold dug within the bounds
of California.
The i've points be makes are. firsf.
thai the ehallzs, marls and greensands
arc Of eminent value rs fertilizers. and
f second, thai The ehallzs and limcst0nas
F Of this district. when mixed with the
native elays found in abundance IN
their immediate ne5ghborhooa and VII
Fliaed by The same process as those Esea
+ al Midway, England, form a cement
f Identical with thai well-kpowR and
standard product. Portland cement, q
which and Of kindred European c.
ments we imported in 1872 over / 000.-
+ Goo casks
He also States that the high grades
i o. Portland cement imported are al
+ made from chalk, as the lime consfitn-
eni. and shows by tables OF analysis
that The Glars and chalks of This dis
+ tTacf ale In chemical values and relative
+ percentages almost Identical with those
used II the manufacture Of the English
+ cement
/ For instance, IN his analysis Of ehalks
he gires that found al White Cliffs
Landing. l-ittle River county, as conn
pared with that used in the mznutae-
ture of Portland cement II MedwsF.
England. as follows.
White Cliffs Landing, carbonate Of
lime, $3.50; silica, SO: oxide of iron,
/ IS; aluminium. SIS Medway. Eng
land. carbonate Of lime. s. ). silica,
s. z5; oxide Of iron, Los; aluminium. 2 s.
Near Rocky Comfort, IN Little River
county. there are about 20 square miles
Of chalk formation and another onterop
a. White Cliffs. on Little River. and
the Claws Of which the a1alrsis is given
above are N the immediate neigh Dor
hood. and IN inexhansiible Quantities
These facts indicate that Little River
county, Hampstead county and the
southern part OF Howard county would
be good places TO locate factories for
making Portland cement. for here
are found the best quality Of materials
in profusion, and lying upon the very
top of the ground, so they can be excs-
waited chesply
But there Is incidentally greater
values in those measures Of the mesOzoie
strata which can he used as fertilizers.
such as the ularls and greensapds of
Clark and djacent counties, the ehalks
OF Little River. and the gypsum, or
lsnd-plaster deposits of SEWER, Howard
and Pike counties.
Speaking of the horticultural valne
OF some of the marls and greensands
as found in place as the geologic term
ISL Professor Br2nner says: The sandy
surface residuary soils of these uarls"
between Arkadelphia, Clark county.
and Columbus, Hampstead county, are
no doubt the finest soils possible for
fruit trees, and especially valuable for
growing peaches. In this connection
1t is valuable TO note that they present
the same geologic horizon as the eele-
brated peach growing regions Of New
Jersey"
But the chief value OF these challzs,
gypsums and caleareous marls is in their
use as fertilizers. By application 10 soils
deficient in the chemical properties they
so richly possess. There are AREAS in
this state as there are corresponding
districts in almost all Of the states, thAt
are comparatively untertile- The soil
needs phosphates. nitra1es. potash OF
lime; some chemical property necessary
to the building up q plant life, is lack
ing. so that while il IS true that Arkan-
sas has hundreds Of thousands Of acres
Of fertile lands. she has many thousands
upon which the iudieious use of these
natural fertilizers would pay large re-
turns upon the cost, as similar applica-
tioas have done upon similar urfertile
lands in New Jersey and in France and
Engla-d-
Besides these virgin soils, we have
thousands of odd fields abandoned
farms. turned ont to grow mp in sedEe
grass and briers. all Of which oould at
once be reclaimed. and their fertility
brought up even beyond that OF their
original condition by the application Of
these cheap and plentiful natural fer
filters
Upon these points the remarks Of Pro-
fessor Cook. state geologisi Of New Jer-
sev. are noteworthy. He SAYS, speak
ing Of the New Jersey marls: The
Earl has been Of incalculshle value 10
Al = - = l.
has raised it from the lowest stage OF
agricultural exhaustion 20 3 high state
Of improvement. Lands which in the
old style Of cultivation, had 10 lie fall
low. by the use Of mari, produce heavy
crops Of clover, and grow rich while
resting. Thousands Of acres Of land,
which have been worn out and left in
common. are now, BY the use Of this
fertilizer. yielding crops Of finest quail
itv. Instances are pointed ont every
where in the mari district. Of farms
which. in former time would not sup
port a family, but are now making their
owners rich from their pro1ucureness-
Barren sandA BY the application Of mari
are made TO grow crops Of clover. and
then crops Of corn. potatoes and wheat
What are supposed 70 b pine barrens,
by the use Of mari are made into fruit
ful land The price OF land in this re-
riou was considerably below that in
the northern part Of the state ~ years
ago: now that the land Is improved.
their prices are even higher than those
IN the northern part Of the state, though
even there they are higher than any
where else in the United states