western axis seems to extend a little further, both ways, than the

eastern.

It has been asserted that the middle portion of this uplift so narrows down toward both ends that the opposite slopes actually come together, thus enclosing an insular space, in the form of a double convex lens. A careful examination will show that such is not the fact; so far from it that toward their extremities the eastern and western axis actually diverge, as one after another of the inner strata of the slopes sink to a lower inclination.

Both at Burning Springs and on the Ohio, the cross section exhibits only a simple anticlinal or flexure, whose axis is the prolongation of what has been called the middle axis. Strictly speaking, these are not the extreme points of the uplift; it has been traced in a diminishing wave some miles across both rivers; and probably its whole length is as much as 50 miles. It is replaced, toward both ends, by other and minor flexures, approximately parallel with it.

At nearly all points along this uplift where a thorough test has been made, on the lines before indicated, oil has been found in good quantity. The principle developments on the southern segment are at Burning Springs on the Little Kanawha, and at Oil Rock on the headwaters of Standing Stone creek. These are on or near the main axial line. Some deep wells recently sunk yield as much as 500 barrels per day. On the northern segment there are some producing wells in a similar position on Horseneck, about three miles from the Ohio river.

The annexed cut, fig. 3, showing approximately the course and relative positions of the three axes, and the locations of producing wells, will, for the most part, explain itself. A and B are the extremeties of the middle segment. To avoid crowding, the smaller streams have been omitted, and the intervals between the axes enlarged.

The oil found in the middle segment is mostly heavy or lubricating oil; that found in the northern and southern segment is mostly light oll. A probable explanation of this is afforded by the theory that the heavy and less volatile oil is a residuum, remaining after the evaporation and drainage of the lighter oils, through crevices connecting with the surface. The angles being more abrupt in the middle segment, and affording more open crevices, the escape of the lighter oil would be more rapid. Another fact of similar significance is, that even here light oil is often found along the inner or least abrupt of the three angles. This is the case at the California house, and, to a less extent, on Oil Spring run.

The wells of the middle segment obtain their supplies mainly from the upper part of that group of sandstones which we have considered as representing the conglomerate series. The deep wells at Burning Springs obtain light oil from the same geological horizon; but the shallow wells of the northern and southern segments derive their oil from the rocks of

the Coal-measures. A deep well near the railroad, in the middle segment which has penetrated over 100 feet into the probable equivalents of the main oil rocks of Pennsylvania, yields, from the bottom, an immense quantity of carburetted hydrogen but no petroleum.

On this as well as other anticlinals in this region, burning springs are of quite common occurrence, but they are in most cases locally associated with light oil. Many of the wells from which light oil is obtained afford gas enough to throw the oil and water above the surface. In some cases this takes place on the fire-engine principle, the compressed gas being confined and the liquids alone escaping; in other cases the escaping gas forces out before it whatever liquids it meets in its way.

The tendency to break into square or rhombic blocks, so as to afford an extensive system of vertical fissures, would seem to be one of the determining characters of the main oil rocks. This feature belongs to several of the coarse sandstones of the Coal-measures; but it is most conspicuously seen in the conglomerate at its various outcrops, as in Hocking county, Ohio, and at the falls of the Great Kanawha ;—so also near the head of the Alleghany river, where the groups of regular blocks, standing out upon the surface, have given rise to such names as Rock City and Ruined City. In some cases, however, the oil-yielding rock is found crushed into small fragments.

This line of uplift is approximately parallel with the Appalachian folds to the eastward, and is undoubtedly a member of the same system. The statement has appeared in this Journal that it makes an angle with the mountain chains of about 40°-an error arising probably from comparing it with the mountains of Tennessee or northern Pennsylvania, instead of with those which lie in a lateral direction from it, namely in northern Virginia. The latter constitute one of those segments of the Appalachian zone, where the mountains, according to Rogers, bear approximately north and south. This flexure is as nearly parallel with their general course as they are with one another. Nor does it stand isolated from the rest; for in the intermediate space there are several other minor flexures, having the same general direction, though occurring at intervals which increase to the westward.

As establishing the theory that the lateral pressure concerned in uplifting the Appalachian folds was exerted from the ocean side (as if by the subsidence of a submarine area in a period of great cooling and contraction), it has been shown by geologists that as a general fact the western dips of the folds are steeper than the eastern,-that upon going westward, further from the direct action of the moving force, this feature becomes less marked,-that to the westward also the folds are less crowded together, or separated by wider intervals, and the uplifting connected with less metamorphism and debituminization. This fold, as one

of the westernmost members of the series, conforms to the rest in all these general laws which, with the fact of parallelism, serve to connect them with a common cause, as parts of one system.

Toward the extremities of this uplift, where it becomes a comparatively slight flexure, the greater inclination of its western dip ceases; but this forms no exception to the general fact as seen in the other Appalachian folds. As would follow from the above theory in regard to their origin, it is not until they attain a considerable angular elevation that the pushing over of their summits, which is a surface movement, begins to take place.

Here, as in other parts of the Appalachian region, there is evidence of a transverse system of disturbances. An example is seen on McFarland's run of Hughes river, a few miles east of this uplift, in a vertical fissure cutting through nearly horizontal rocks with a bearing, as described by Lesley, of 78° east of north. It is filled with a sort of solidified bitumen, or asphalt-the result, probably, of the slow oxydation of the heavy residuum of oils which once occupied it.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

The State Board of Agriculture having resolved, annually, to offer prizes for Essays on Agricultural topics in the several counties of the State, I have deemed it not inappropriate to preface the first of these prize essays, with a condensed history of the lands in Ohio, copied from Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio, but really originally condensed

from Chase's Statutes of Ohio. Believing that this fragment of the civil history of the State may afford important if not interesting data for those who may in future write the history of agriculture in Ohio, as introduced

by the various immigrants to this State from the several localities whence they emigrated. The agriculture of the Western Reserve is widely different from that of the Scioto valley; not for the reason that the soil and climate differs so greatly, but because agriculture on the Reserve was introduced by New Englanders, and in the Scioto valley by Virginians and Kentuckians. The "backbone" counties of Columbiana, Stark, Wayne and Richland, and the Miami valley, were settled by Pennsylvanians-hence there is a great similarity if not an actual identity between agriculture in Stark and Montgomery counties; although geographically, meteorologically and geologically farther removed from each other than Pickaway is from Lorain.

JOHN H. KLIPPART, Secretary.

PUBLIC LANDS.

In most of the states and territories lying west of the Alleghany mountains, the United States, collectively, as a nation, owned, or did own, the soil of the country, after the extinguishment of the aboriginal Indian title. This vast national domain comprises several hundreds of millions of acres; which is a beautiful fund, upon which the general government can draw for centuries to supply, at a low price, all its citizens with a freehold estate.

When Ohio was admitted into the Federal Union as an independent State, one of the terms of admission was, that the fee-simple to all the lands within its limits, excepting those previously granted or sold, should vest in the United States. Different portions of them have, at diverse periods, been granted or sold to various individuals, companies, and bodies politic.

The following are the names by which the principal bodies of land are designated on account of these different forms of transfer, viz:

1. Congress Lands.

2 United States Military. 3. Virginia Military.

4. Western Reserve. 5. Fire Lands.

6. Ohio Co's. Purchase. 7. Donation Tract.

8. Symmes' Purchase.
9. Refugee Tract.
10. French Grant.
11. Dohrman's do.
12. Zane's do.
13. Canal Lands.
14. Turnpike do.

15. Maumee Road Lands. 16. School do.

17. College do.

18. Ministerial do.
19. Moravian do.
20. Salt Sections.

Congress Lands are so called, because they are sold to purchasers by the immediate officers of the general government, conformably to such laws as are, or may be, from time to time, enacted by Congress. They are all regularly surveyed into townships of six miles square each, under authority, and at the expense of the National government.