OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 185 



The State was the first to order a scientific survey, and it should not 

 allow itself to be the last to take advantage of the developments of 

 later study. Within the past few years there has been great activity 

 in many of the States in this direction ; and there have been published, 

 or are in process of publication, Reports which leave ours far behind ; 

 while the surveys undertaken in Europe, even by the smaller and less 

 favored countries, have been much more thorough and systematic than 

 any executed in this country. 



The publications of such a survey as is now proposed should embrace 

 a detailed topographical map, on a scale of about an inch to a mile, 

 maps colored to show the distribution of rock-formations and economic 

 mine als, with charts on a larger scale of particular localities, having 

 special interest or importance ; sections and explanatory text to accom- 

 pany these maps, embracing descriptions and analyses of the rocks and 

 ores and of the waters, and investigations into the strength and durability 

 of our building-stones ; full descriptions and truthful illustrations of the 

 animals and plants, including their natural history, transformations, and 

 relations to man and his requirements. 



In carrying out the survey, the State could take advantage of the 

 provision made by Congress, by which any State undertaking a topo- 

 graphical survey of its territory is empowered to call upon the United 

 States Coast Survey to make the preliminary triangulations ; so that 

 the State is at once relieved of a very important part of the work to be 

 done. In making these triangulations, the Coast Survey utilizes the 

 experience of local Professors and their students ; aud in the same way 

 it would be entirely feasible, in following the trigonometrical with the 

 topographical survey, to employ the services, in d liferent parts of the 

 State, of the same persons. The survey would thus become at once a 

 most valuable auxiliary to scientific education, by giving the younger 

 men in our schools of science and technology an opportunity to put 

 their studies to practical use. 



The material interests of the State call urgently for this survey. A 

 detailed topographical map on the scale above indicated, accompanied 

 by tables representing the land-slopes and the areas of the river bot- 

 toms, would be of great value in guiding plans of public or local im- 

 provement. The extension of the rocks of the Rhode Island coal-field 

 into our State makes it important to decide once for all the question 

 whether these rocks contain coal-seams of economic value. It may 

 reasonably be expected that new industries would be seen to be prac- 

 ticable, and experience has shown that an important result of such 

 surveys is to prevent the waste of capital aud labor in unfruitful en- 

 voL. I. 24 



