LITERARY NOTICES. 



129 



more perfect than the evolution philosophy 

 as represented by Herbert Spencer." The 

 class of ideas that is most positive and re- 

 liable is found in modern science, which ac- 

 knowledges nothing as beyond candid criti- 

 cism, has nothing sacred but the truth, and 

 investigates every part of the universe and 

 of man with equal impartiality ; and is not 

 an extreme or antagonistic of all former 

 knowledge and opinion, but " is a more com- 

 plete, thorough, and systematic knowledge 

 of the same kind as any imperfect knowl- 

 edge preceding it that has a real basis of 

 fact." 



The second volume of the Report for 

 1838 of the Geological Survey of Arkansas, 

 under the direction of State Geologist John 

 C. Branner, comprises a review of the Neo- 

 zoic Geology of Southwestern Arkansas, by 

 Robert T. Hill. It is the result of the joint 

 work of the United States and the State 

 Surveys, in which the latter was able to 

 avail itself of Prof. Hill's knowledge of the 

 mesozoic geology of other parts of the Union. 

 The region embraced in the present survey 

 may be said roughly to lie between the Oua- 

 chita and Red Rivers, extending a little east 

 of the Ouachita, including Little Missouri 

 and Little Rivers, and to consist most large- 

 ly of the Trinity, Lower and Upper Creta- 

 ceous, and Tertiary formations, with plateau 

 gravel and associated deposits, and the flood 

 plains of the rivers, of the Post-tertiary or 

 Quaternary. In determining the relations 

 of the Upper Cretaceous beds, the author 

 concludes that they are identical with those 

 of Texas, more obscurely so with those of 

 New Jersey, and the equivalent of the Upper 

 Cretaceous of Europe. The relations of the 

 Lower Cretaceous and Trinity with forma- 

 tions east of the Mississippi are at present 

 only conjectural. Prof. Hill's review is sup- 

 plemented by papers on " The Northern 

 Limits of the Mesozoic Rocks in Arkansas," 

 by Prof. 0. P. Hay, and " On the Manufact- 

 ure of Portland Cement," by Prof. Branner. 

 The third volume of the series is a pre- 

 liminary report on the Geology of the Coal 

 Regions, by Arthur Winslow. It contains 

 only a part of the coal regions of the State, 

 representing an area of nearly two thousand 

 square miles and extending about seventy- 

 five miles along the Arkansas River from the 

 Indian Territory to Dardanelle. Chapters 



VOL. XXXVI. 9 



are devoted to the "Distribution of the 

 Coal," a review of the coal industry of the 

 State, and the composition and adaptabilities 

 of the coals. 



The Commissioner of Agriculture, in his 

 Report for 1888, represents the year as hav- 

 ing been one of much greater activity in the 

 department than it had ever before experi- 

 enced. The investigations made have ex- 

 cited popular interest, and the results ob- 

 tained have been helpful to the farming 

 class. A good record was made of the work 

 of the experiment stations. A clearing-house 

 or exchange is called for through which they 

 can co-operate. The most important duty 

 devolving upon the Bureau was the work for 

 eradicating contagious pleuro-pneumonia in 

 cattle ; and, in connection with this, the need 

 of a laboratory is suggested where persons 

 can qualify themselves by experiment for 

 practice in the diseases of animals. The 

 division of entomology pursued investiga- 

 tions on the cottony-cushion scale of Cali- 

 fornia, the hop-louse, the root-infesting nema- 

 tode worms, the cotton and boll worm, which 

 attacked the tomato ; the Rocky Mountain 

 locust, the buffalo gnat, and various other 

 insects injurious to vegetation. It is giving 

 attention to the introduction of parasites de- 

 structive of such insects. Experiments of 

 silk-culture have not yet given promise of a 

 profitable industry. The chemical division 

 interested itself in the study of food adul- 

 terations and processes for making sugar 

 from sorghum. The statistical department 

 had to meet large demands for supplying 

 information. The botanical division was 

 busy in experiments on the adaptation of 

 various plants, and in studies in vegetable 

 pathology. Attention was given to the 

 habits of different birds, and the depreda- 

 tions on crops of various small mammals. 

 The seed division was active in sending out 

 seeds to experimental cultivators and the 

 constituents of members of Congress. The 

 forestry division reported progress, but not 

 much encouragement as yet for the restora- 

 tion of the forests, or even for the preserva- 

 tion of what of them are left. Microscopical 

 investigations were made in various direc- 

 tions. In pomology experiments are report- 

 ed on tropical and semitropical fruits and 

 on hardy Russian fruits for the Northwest ; 

 and an excellent paper, by Mr. W. n. Ragan, 



