No. 7. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 361 



farmer, without onerous aucl uncertain tests, be enabled to cultivate 

 the same intelligentlj and with the most profit or promise of success. 

 Hence the continuance of the tentative efforts of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture should be invoked by some resolution or definite 

 action of this meeting. 



But, perhaps, more pertinent to my subject is the conservation of 

 our timber and minerals, and, apparently, the greatest concern at- 

 taches to our coal areas and supply. Direct and effective efforts 

 towards the preservation and renewal of our forests and the re- 

 straint of timber waste are proving beneficial and effective in many 

 states, while the Federal government is active in the premises. A 

 most lively and vigorous interest, now so widely prevalent and 

 rapidly extending, must soon become an efficient agency towards this 

 much desired consummation, with its attendent benefits, and the 

 ultimate reforestation of vast areas, now denuded, will follow; so 

 that education in this direction is progressive and not retarded. 

 This, with other factors operating rightly, is assurance of the res- 

 toration, also, of the depleted water power over extensive areas, 

 where the streams may again be renewed. 



The cement industry, now so important and acquiring giant pro- 

 portions with its phenomiual increase in production and demand, 

 has promise of indefinite existence, with the almost limitless de- 

 posits of natural rock associated with the Lower Silurian, Helder 

 berg and some other limestone formations; the native cement rock 

 being a mongrel or bastard limestone, while various combinations 

 of other rocks and clay, with the purer limestones, seem to afford 

 unbounded scope for experiment and actual production along this 

 line. There seem to be no misgivings relative to the exhaustion 

 of raw material for the production of this comodity. Our iron ores, 

 in the form of hematites, magnetites, carbonates and mongrel de- 

 posits, are fortuitous and found in local areas and pockets and of 

 uncertain amount when their wide range are considered, and no 

 figures can be suggested as to their extent or continuance. The 

 ores are only found by exploratory work and no forecast towards 

 their value in tlie future, can be made. 



Commercial clays are, also, usually discovered by prospecting or 

 exploratory Avork, with a few notable exceptions, not being in per- 

 sistent seams or beds; but found in limited acreage, local deposits 

 and in many instances resulting from the disintegration of feldspar, 

 shale and other rocks; while these several coal seams have their floor 

 clays, of varying quality and the one important hard clay bed, 

 affording the material for refractory brick in this and other states, 

 is a persistent seam, but of uncertain quality, by reason of its rapid 

 variance in chemical composition or structure, from place to place. 

 No estimate of the hard, soft or plastic clays can be figured; but, 

 in their several grades, they are of immense area, while being con- 

 stantly produced, at least the softer grades, by weathering as 

 stated, and are no cause for concern, considering the probable supply 

 that may be revealed as required. So, the possible copper, lead, 

 nickle, zinc, roofing-slate and a score of other minerals, of some com- 

 mercial value, are yet only of incidental importance, but afford pro- 

 fit as discovered and developed. 



But, referring to the several mooted subjects, the one of utmost 

 interest and fraught with most anxiety, is the supply of coal, oil 

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