SOIL AND VEGETATION. The soil is to a great extent stony and of a poor quality, though in the valleys, and especially in the western low lands, there is much land that is suitable for cul tivation. The hills and valley-slopes, as well as the summits of the mountains, are covered with rich herbage, and there are large forests of pine and hemlock, with spruce and fir on the higher slopes. On the lower lands there are also forests of decidtiims trees, the sugar maple being one of the most eommon trees.
Geof.00v AND MINE:IL The whole of mont is of aecient formation, ranging from the 1)evonian to the Pre-Cambrian age. The central axis of the Green is composed of gneiss. Ilanked for a short distance on the east by a narrow band of Devonian limestone. and on the west by large beds of 'Cambrian quartz and Old Ifed sandstone. The rest of the surface rock colNists chiefly of Silurian limestone. The up lifting of the mountains occurred at the close of the Lower Silurian period, and the strata have been greatly folded, crushed, and metamor phosed. Evidences of glacial action, such as
drift deposits and boulders. are everywhere abundant.
The principal mineral wealth of Vermont is in its rocks, aml particularly in the crystalline and other more or less metamorphosed lime stones which lie in immense beds a hmg the western base of the mountains, and which fur nish a great variety of marble, from white to almost pure Meek. Granite, slate, and soap stone are also abundant, and the quartz-mica schists near Lamoille furnish excellent whet stones. Important veins of asbestos are bedded in the serpentine rocks in the north central part of the State. Among metallic ores iron and copper are the most abundant, but lead, man ganese, gold, and silver are also found in small quantities.