HO' rOWA ACADEMY OF SCTENCES. 



tributioii to the ircolo^rv of the State. The fornuitioii.s wen- 

 mapped with approximate accuracy, and in the location of 

 the coal areas atone there has doubtless lx3en a savins- of vast 

 sums of money to the State in prevention of ust^less pros- 

 pectino' for coal in |)ortions of the State where coal could 

 not possibly occur. Prof. \V. J. ^NlcGee icives in the Tenth 

 Census lie port an excellent review of the quan-ics and (fuarry 

 products of the State. 



Of individual workers in «feoloi>y we have had many of 

 wlnmi we may feel proud, and the contributions to this sub- 

 ject hy Profs. Todd, Calvin, McGee, (':dl, Harris, Wach- 

 smith and others* have added nmch to oui- kiiovrledoe. 



Of especial interest and in^portance have been the studies 

 of recent deposits, drift, hjess, etc., by Profs. McGee, Call 

 and Todd, which, .owini>- to the paramount importance of 

 agriculture in our State, are of direct interest to the ])eople 

 of every portion of the State. 



But how much remains to be studied in this direction? 

 The recent discoveries and great advances in utilization of 

 oil and gas render of absorbing interest all the geological 

 formations where these may possibly occur, • Their careful 

 examination would be of great service to the people of the 

 State, and might be the means of saving thousands of dollars 

 by preventing useless prospecting. 



The coal formations merit further investigation, and peat 

 bogs, quarries, gypsum and other mineral deposits, with a 

 host of minor sul)jects, in one [)art of the State or another, 

 await scientific examination. The location of areas >vhere 

 artesian wells are liable to be secured would also be of great 

 service, and even an approximate outline of such areas, pos- 

 sible from a knowledge of the chnracter and slope of the 

 geological strata in given localities might savi^ large sums 



* Since the above was penned we have been please'1 lo note the appearance of several 

 papers on Iowa geology, from Mr. Clement L. Webster and Mr. C. R. Keyes. in The .-Xnieri- 

 oan Geologist and American Natnralist. 



