REPORT: 



To /Zw Excellency, William McWillie, Governor of Missisippi : 



SIR : The law makes it the duty of the Geologist of this 

 State, to lay before the Governor, annually, a report concern- 

 ing the progress of the Geological Survey during the pre- 

 ceding year. 



The meaning and intent of this law, has been variously 

 construed, it having been thought by some that the annual 

 report is intended to embrace not merely the general statement 

 of the work done and results obtained, but also a descrip- 

 tion, more or less detailed, of the phenomena observed. The 

 latter plan has been carried out in the report made by the 

 late State Geologist, and is not without precedent in other 

 States. It is obvious, however, that reports of this charac- 

 ter can be practically useful only where, as in mineral dis- 

 tricts, the detail constitutes in itself, a useful and even neces- 

 sary guide in rendering productive, resources immediately 

 available. Thus, the partial but detailed reports of the 

 Geological Surveys of Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee, 

 have been eminently useful in developing the mineral re- 

 sources of those States. 



In view of these facts, it is frequently asked why it is that 

 the reports heretofore published in connexion with the Geo- 

 logical Survey of this State, have done so little towards de- 

 veloping new resources ; and that, while enumerating a large 

 number of facts, they are of so little use as practical guides 

 in the utilization of those resources, few in number, which 

 have been discovered. In consequence of this failure to ful- 

 fill the expectations raised by the brilliant results of the 



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