FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR.-(White Ash)-In all parts of the State; a light, elastic, tough wood. Uses.-Oars, staves, plank, blocks, various implements and machinery.

FRAXINUS AMERICANA.—(Black Ash, Swamp Ash, Yellow Ash.) Uses-Various; Very durable. (F. Sambucifolia of Michaux?)

ULMUS AMERICANA.-(Elm)—In moist rich lands, á large handsome tree, tough, not easily split. Uses Various.

CARPINUS OSTRYA.-C. AMERICANA.-C. BETULUS.— (Hornbeam, Hornbine, Lever Wood, Iron Wood)-Small size, exceeding strong and close-grained. Not abundant. LARRUS SASSAFRAS.-(Sassafras)-A little in York coun

ty.

THUYA OCCIDENTALIS.-(White Cedar.-Arbor Vite)Abundant in some low moist grounds. Uses.-Shingles, rails, posts, &c.; very durable and light. The name arbor vita, is also given by some to the Juniperus Virginiana.

TILIA AMERICANA.-(Bass Wood.-Lime Tree)—In all parts of the State. In moist rich grounds; large size; a very light soft wood. Uses. Various.

White Wood-Nearly similar to the preceding. Found between the sources of the Aroostook and the Madawamkeag.

POPULUS TREMULOIDES.-(Poplar, American Aspen)—A common growth after fires have overrun the original forest.

POPULUS BALSAMIFERA.-(Balsam Poplar, Balm of Gilead, Sycamore)-In the northern parts of the State this tree is found of a large size. Its buds and leaves aromatic, and said to possess medicinal qualities.

CERASUS. (Cherry)—Several species, some of which are used in cabinet work; common after fires have overrun the forest.

PRUNUS.—(Plum)-Several species, of little value, except the Moose-plum, or Kennebeck-plum. Wood hard, brittle, fine grained. Would probably be of use in some of the arts.

SALIX.-(Willow)-Several species, of little value.

RHUS GLABRUM. RHUS TYPHINUM.—(Sumach)—Appears in some places after clearing the forests. Valuable in tanning and dyeing.

There are many species of lesser shrubs, and of perennial and annual plants indigenous to this State, some of which have valuable properties, but the enumeration is hardly necessary, and may be dispensed with.

A full account of the mineral productions of the State would be highly desirable and important, but this department of its natural history has, as yet, been but very partially explored; and a bare mention of such minerals as are known to exist in a few places, is all that can be given. We are indebted for nearly all that is known upon the subject, to the labors of Professor Cleaveland. The account which follows of some of them, with those few localities which are known, is principally extracted from his valuable work on Mineralogy.*

IRON.-Is very extensively diffused in all parts of the State; but few of its localities however have been explored sufficiently to ascertain the kinds, quality, or quantity of its ores. In some the quantity has been found to be considerable; in some supposed to be very extensive; the kinds less known. Among them, so far as known are the following kinds and localities:

SULPHURET OF IRON.-(Pyrites, Iron Pyrites)-Found at Brunswick, Winthrop, Albion, and other places-Often in Argillite and mica slate-Specimens have been found near Williamsburgh, but not in great quantity-used chiefly for the manufacture of Copperas.

SULPHATE OF IRON,-Near Andover. Other ores of iron exist also in this vicinity.

MAGNETIC SULPHURET OF IRON.-At Brunswick.

* It is to be hoped that his professional duties may, at some future time, allow him to prosecute his researches, and give to the public an account of the mineralogy and geology of the State, which is much wanted, and to which no other in the State can pretend to be equal.

MAGNETIC OXIDE of Iron.

Var. 1. NATIVE MAGNET.-At Topsham.

Var. 2. IRON SAND.-In small quantity at Williamsburgh. Var. 3. MICACEOUS OXIDE OF IRON.-Near Belfast. OCHREY RED OXIDE OF IRON.-(Red Ochre)-A large quantity, supposed to be of this species, is found on the west branch of Pleasant river near the Ebeeme mountains. In its vicinity are other species also, supposed to be Red and Brown Hematite.

BOG ORE.-Clinton. Near Ebeeme mountains, and various other places.

Beds of Iron ore, but of what kind is not known, have been discovered in various parts of the interior.-One of some extent on the bank of the Penobscot, above Sunkhaze.-A large one on the bank of the St. John, about 2 miles above the mouth of Fish river. A large quantity is found in township No 6, 9th range Penobscot County; and there are indications of its existence in abundance in the Ebeeme mountains, and in Katahdin―also in the eastern part of the State, near the Meduxnekeag.

LEAD.-Is found, in the form of its sulphuret, or Galena, at Topsham and at Thomaston. In what quantities is not known. It has been found also at Exeter, Penobscot County.

OXIDE OF MANGANESE.-At Thomaston.

SULPHURET OF MOLYBDENA.-At Brunswick, and Mount Desert.

OXIDE OF MOLYBDENA.-At Brunswick-connected with the preceding.

Red oxide of TITANIUM.-At Topsham.

GRAPHITE. Often improperly called black lead. Found at Brunswick, Freeport, Bath, Gorham, Paris.

PEAT.-Exists abundantly in swamps and bogs. The great quantities of fuel furnished as yet by the forests, leaves the peat hitherto of but little value.

LIME. Is found in various parts of the State, but no where so abundantly as at Thomaston and Camden. In both those places it is wrought in great quantities for ordinary purposes as a cement; and its exportation forms a large part of the trade of the inhabitants. In Thomaston particularly, the rock is principally a handsome marble, much of which is cut and polished for ornamental purposes. Lime in some of its varieties, principally its carbonate, is diffused over various other parts of the State. In some it is manufactured, but not extensively; a handsome marble, as well as ordinary varieties of the carbonate of lime, is found on the waters of the Meduxnekeag. An extensive bed of fine statuary marble forms a part of the bed of the west branch of the Penobscot, a little below the Chesuncook. A variety of Phosphate of lime has been found at Topsham.

GRANITE.-And Granitic rocks, suitable for building, are found in every variety of form and situation in most parts of the State. Quarries of the most valuable kinds for the purposes of architecture, have been opened near the banks of the Kennebeck in Hallowell and Augusta, near the shores of Penobscot bay, and in other places. Most of these are conveniently accessible, are easily wrought, and the working and exportation of them is becoming a business of some extent and impor

tance.

SLATE. In several varieties, exists extensively between the Kennebeck and Penobscot rivers; and has been discovered in several instances from the Penobscot to the waters of the St. John. The basis or substratum of a large proportion of the hills between the Kennebeck and the Penobscot consists of Slate. Near the sea coast they appear to be composed principally of mica slate. Proceeding northerly the external character becomes less distinct. On the Piscataquis, Argillite prevails, and many of the hills are founded entirely on this. It appears also in the vallies, and beds of the rivers. Occasionally the argillite is alternated with silicious slate, frequently traversed by

veins of quartz and sometimes is alternated with mica slate. The argillite and silicious slate are sometimes found passing into each other, in various proportions. Towards the sea board the mica slate occurs in a few places, in very thin laminæ, not regularly stratified, and very friable. Generally it exists in irregular strata of all variety of forms, sometimes nodulous. The irregularity in general becomes less as it recedes from the sea. On the Piscataquis the argillite is in general regularly stratified, and, in a number of instances has been found capable of being split into roof slate, of a superior quality. An instance of this kind exists in large quantity at Williamsburgh, where tables have been obtained from six to nearly ten feet in length, of the best quality, suitable for roof or writing slate. It is said that a large body, of a similar quality, has been found in township No. 9, 9th range, in the county of Somerset. It is found also at Houlton, and at various places on Penobscot river and its eastern branches.

One peculiarity of the roof slate which has been examined in some parts of the State, will serve to indicate its superiority over much that is found and used in other parts of the United States, for the covering of buildings; viz. its power of resistance to the force of frost; as is shown in instances where, in its native situation, it has been exposed to all changes of the seasons, in the open air, for ages, and yet exhibits no marks of decomposition, nor change of its original structure.

From the general appearance of the hills, connected with the appearance of the argillite which has been discovered, it is supposed that the tract of country, from 10 to 20 miles in width, extending from the eastern part of the county of Somerset, and perhaps from Kennebeck river, in a northeasterly direction, on and north of the Piscataquis and the Madawamkeag, to the country about Houlton, and probably northerly to the Aroostook and St. John, will be found to be based principally upon argillite, of a suitable form and quality for roof and writing slates. The waters of the Penobscot will afford con