272 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



through the press, but several lonns were not yet in print when, in 

 August, imperative business called Doctor Hilgard to Europe, and 

 the work of seeing the report through the press fell upon Dr. W. D. 

 Moore. 



On Hilgard's return from Europe in November, 1860, he found 

 the report in print, and shortly afterwards it was shipped to St. 

 Louis for binding. The political events which soon afterward con- 

 vulsed the country prevented the return of the bound edition to 

 Mississippi. It remained warehoused in the binder's hands during 

 the entire war between the States, and it was not until 18G5 that 

 measures were taken for its recovery. The war and the " 12 months 

 thereafter" having expired, the survey w^as revived ipso facto on 

 the basis of the act of 1860, and Hilgard found the State printer, 

 Mr. E. Barksdale, determined to carry out to the letter his agree- 

 ment in respect to the publication of the report, thus likewise reviv- 

 ing his obligation to contribute $250 toward the payment of its cost, 

 which, under the conditions then existing, was a heavy tax. The 

 edition was received at Jackson early in 1866 and thence distributed 

 according to the following law : 



An act to resnlato the distribution of tlu^ reports on tbo geolojiy and agriculture of the 



State of Mississippi. 



Section 1. Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Mississippi, That 

 2,500 of Doctor Hilgard's reports on the geology and agriculture of the State 

 shall be distributed by the secretary of state to the counties and public insti- 

 tutions in accordance with the provisions of the act regulating the distribution 

 of the preceding report, except so far as relate to the State University. 



Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the secretary of state 

 to deposit at the State University 250 copies of said report for the use of the 

 institution and for distribution to and exchange with scientific and literary 

 men and institutions by the librarian of the university, under the direction of the 

 faculty. 



Sec. 3. Be it further enacted. That the copies not distributed in accordance 

 witli the provisions of the preceding section shall remain deposited in the capital, 

 subject to the control of the secretary of state, who shall have authority to issue 

 one copy gratuitously to any citizen of the State making application for the 

 same, and to citizens of other States upon the payment of $1 per copy, or in 

 exchange for works of similar character, to be deposited in the State library. 



Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect and be in force 

 from and after its passage. 



Approved, February 18, 1867. 



Benefits. — The benefits of the surveys under direction of Doctor 

 Hilgard are summarized by him: 



In this report I undertook to separate, as far as possible, the purely scientific 

 part from that bearing directly upon practical points, in order to render the 

 latter .ts accessible to unscientific readers as the nature of the case permit- 

 ted, while at the same time giving scientific discussion full swing in its proper 



