GEOLOGICAL AND j^ATUEAL HISTORY SUEVEYS. 273 



place. Tills was the more necessary as ray predecessor's reports had beeu 

 slijirply criticized iu this respect; aud I tliiuk the result has justified uiy judg- 

 nieut in the premises. The volume is thus divided nearly eveuiy between a 

 "geological" aud "agricultural" portion; the former giving, under the special 

 heading of " useful materials," the technically important features of each for- 

 DJation. after its geological characters have been discussed. In the agricultural 

 portion it seemed needful at the time to give by way of introduction, a brief 

 discussion of the principles of agricultural chemistry, then but little understood 

 by the general public; and accordingly, 50 pages are given to this subject 

 and discussed with reference to the agricultuarl practice of the State. In 

 the special or descriptive portion of the agricultural report the State is divided 

 into "regions" characterized by more or less uniformity of soil and surface 

 features ; and each is considered in detail with respect to all natural features 

 bearing on agricultural pursuits, special attention being given to the nature of 

 the soils as shown by their vegetation aud analysis. 



In the latter respect I departed pointedly from the tlien prevailing opinions, 

 by which soil analysis wns held to be practically useless, iviy exploration of the 

 State had shown me such intimate connection between the natural vegetation 

 and the varying chemical nature of the underlying strata that have contributed 

 to soil formation, as to greatly encourage the belief that definite results could 

 be eliminated from the discussion of a considerable number of analyses, of soils 

 carefully observed and classified with respect both to their origin and the 

 natural vegetation, and a comparison of these data with the results of culti- 

 vation; and that thus it would become possible, after all, to do what Lieblg 

 originally expected could be done, viz, to predict measurably the behavior 

 of soils in cultivation from their chemical comjtosition. To what extent this 

 expectation has been fufilled, is hardly apparent from the very limited num- 

 ber of analyses which my unaided work was able to furnish for the report of 

 ISCO. But lights then obtained encouraged me to per.severe in the same line of 

 investigation, in the face of much adverse criticism, when wider opportunities 

 presented themselves afterwards. By the aid of these I think I may fairly 

 claim that the right of soil analysis to be considered as an essential and often 

 decisive factor in the a priori estimation of the cultural value of virgin soils, 

 has been well established alongside of the limitations imposed by physical and 

 climatic conditions and by previous invention of culture.* 



With the recognition of these fiicts the import-mce of agricultural surveys 

 to the population especially of the newer states and territories becomes suffi- 

 ciently obvious to c(niuiiaud at least tlie same attention as those investigations 

 directed specially to the recognition of the geological and mineral resources of 

 the same regions; and the "classification of lands," provided for under the 

 law creatin.'? the United States Geological Survey, assumes a new and more 

 pressing significance. Even apart from any special investigations of soil com- 

 position, the right of the agricultural interests to at least a good intelligent and 

 intelligible description of the surface features of a region, given with res^^3ct 

 to its agricultural capabilities and its attractions for settlers, can hardly be 

 denied. With the additional possibilities opened by the intelligent application of 

 Boil Investigation, there is no excuse for the neglect, sometimes almost absolute, 

 with which this branch of the public surveys has thus far been treated by those 

 charged with their execution. 



' For n morp oxtondpfl pxomplificntion and discnssion of thp nature and utility of snch 

 work, pee tlio Report on Cotton Production in the United States, vols. 5 and 6 of the 

 Reports of the Tenth Census; also Amor. Journ. Rel.. Docpm!)er, 1872, p. 484; also issue 

 for September, p 133. 



