230 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAI. MUSEUM. 



small amount of explanatory text. The charts were announced as 

 illustrations of the paper on " Tsothermals " appended to the " Re- 

 port of Progress." This pamphlet brought to view as sharply as 

 possible such facts as the foUoAving: 



Extreme cold at Milwaukee is 14° below extreme cold at Grand Haven. This 

 difference is all that distinguishes between fruit-bearing region and one in 

 which fruits fail. The growing seasou begins at Grand Haven 6 to 1.3 days 

 earlier in the spring than it does at Milwaukee, and continues 5 to 8 days later 

 in the autumn. The great climatic facts touched upon in this paper and more 

 fully set forth in my Report of Progress possesses the utmost practical im- 

 portance. * * * These facts are not known to the world. * *■ * The 

 climate of our State is one of its greatest natural resources. To make this 

 resource known to the world is an eminently pi-actical work, etc. 



A copy of the pamphlet was laid on the table of each member. 



On March 14. on motion of Mr. Grosvenor, tl\e house voted tiu' 

 use of the hall to the director for the purpose of an interview with 

 the members, but without favorable result. 



On March 16 there was introduced a report from which the fol- 

 lowing passages are extracted: 



It seems desirable that the act passed at the session in 1869 should be 

 amended as provided by tiiis bill ; for the reason that an investigation is pro- 

 vided for in said act, in regard to a large number of subjects not belonging 

 strictly to a geological survey, such as hydrography, climatology, meteorology, 

 topography, mag'netography, and physical geography of the State. 



There is also a provision in the act of 1869, above referred to, authorizing 

 the "compiling and collecting of all useful knowledge" in I'elation to certain 

 matters therein contained. This, in the minds of your committee, is a serious 

 objection to the act, and an amendment is incorporated in the bill herewith 

 reported, to obviate the same. A large amount of useful knowledge is contained 

 in books heretofore published by various authors, and not only in a convenient 

 form, but the books are easily to be obtained by the people who desire the in- 

 formation. * • * 



From the best information that your committee has been able to obtain in 

 relation to the matter intended for publication, now in the hands of the geo- 

 logical board, they are of the opinion that the great bulk of the same is objec- 

 tionable, for the reasons above stated; that it will be necessary to rearrange 

 and condense it before the same is fit for publication; that, in fact, there is now 

 nothing in readiness to be incorporated in the final report of the geological 

 survey. 



Your committee would, therefore, report said joint resolution back to the 

 House without amendment, and recommend that it do not pass. 



Your committee would also report said bill biick to the House without 

 itmendmeut, and recommend that it do pass. * * * 



The joint resolution, which provided for publication, was laid on 

 the table; and the bill for continuing the survey was ordered printed, 

 referred to commj'ttee of the whole and placed on the general order. 



On March 18, on motion of Mr. Grosvenor, the joint resolution 

 was taken froju the table and referred to the committee on education, 



