4 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



He was at work dredging until the middle of September. Dr. 

 Holmes explored the Natural History of the Kennebec and An- 

 droscoggin regions during the latter part of the season. 



The Geologist, Mr. Hitchcock, was accompanied by Mr. Geo. L. 

 Goodale (now Assayer to the State) during the whole season. 

 About the middle of May they left Moosehead Lake in birch canoes, 

 accompanied by Mr. 0. White, of the scientific department of Am- 

 herst College, and explored the west branch of the Penobscot, the 

 upper portion of the river St. John, returning by way of Churchill, 

 Chamberlain and Chesuncook Lakes to Greenville. Mr. White 

 became so much interested in the work of exploration, that at his 

 own expense he explored the geology of Alleguash and Cancemgo- 

 moe Lakes, and presented us with a report upon them. 



The Geological party spent the last of June and the whole of 

 July in exploring the country near Penobscot Bay, and measuring 

 a section from Eden to the Canada line in Somei'set county. Then, 

 they spent more than a month in examining the country watered 

 by the Schoodic Lakes and the St. Croix river, besides an important 

 exploration of the iron ore and fossiliferous limestone of northern 

 Aroostook county. The last work of the season was the explora- 

 tion of the large lakes in Franklin and Oxford counties. 



We propose to divide this report into three parts. Part I will 

 embrace the observations that have been made in Natural History 

 during the past year, in all the departments of Zoology and Botany. 

 Part n will treat of whatever may have been learned respecting 

 the rocks and fossils of the State since the publication of the Pre- 

 liminary Report ; while Part III will be devoted to the chemical 

 portion of the general report. We shall not address your Honor- 

 able Assembly with each special report, but with this introduction 

 present the several fragments in the most natural order possible. 

 We have found it very difficult to devise an unexceptionable mode 

 of presenting our materials, owing to their fragmentary character. 



We regard the notices of iron ores in the State, and the descrip- 

 tion of the Botanical Map, as the most important practical results 

 of the survey described in this report. The one may have an inti- 

 mate connection with the welfare of our General Government, 

 while the latter will be of value to those who propose settling in 

 the best agricultural districts ; and when the details are properly 

 investigated, it will afford to the I'csidents of all parts of the State 

 the knowledge of the best fertilizers for each district. 



