LETTEE TO THE GOVERNOR. 3 



that coal may be sought for over the whole of southwestern Iowa with reason- 

 able hope of finding plentiful supplies at a not unusual depth as mined in other 

 countries and in other parts of our own. Thus we have reason to hope that the 

 present known coal-area of the State, amounting to about seven thousand square 

 miles, will be doubled by the discovery of coal at some depth beneath the surface 

 of an equal area of southwestern Iowa. 



The existence of large quantities of excellent peat has also been fully demon- 

 strated and reported. I have also lost no opportunity of assuring the public that 

 all kinds of our indigenous forest trees will grow with wonderful thriftiness upon 

 all varieties of our prairie and other soils wherever they are protected from the 

 prairie fires. These facts show that the future supplies of fuel for both the 

 present and prospective inhabitants of our State are to be abundant and certain. 



Of minor, but yet very important subjects, I may mention the demonstrated 

 value of some of our magnesian limestones for the preparation of hydraulic lime ; 

 of the Fort Dodge gypsum for all the uses to which that substance is applicable 

 in the arts, sciences, and agriculture, etc., etc. 



For reasons given, I have not hesitated to discourage all explorations for 

 mineral oil or the precious metals in any part of the State. I have also 

 endeavored to show that although iron ore of good quality has been frequently 

 found in various parts of the State, and in different formations, it is always in 

 very limited quantity ; and in view of the bountiful supplies to be obtained 

 elsewhere in our country, the best of ours in Iowa is practically valueless so far 

 as now known. I have endeavored to point out the hazard of exploring for 

 coal beyond the northern and eastern boundaries of the coal-field as designated 

 upon the geological map and explained in the text ; and to indicate the certainty 

 of failure if such explorations are undertaken at any considerable distance beyond 

 those borders. These unpleasant truths have been plainly presented, knowing that 

 the people would be as faithfully served by designating the character of such 

 enterprises as will be sure to entail serious loss, as by designating the limits 

 within which they may hope to succeed. 



The reports of my assistant, Prof. O. H. St. John of the Iowa State Agricul 

 tural College, will be found in the chapters which bear his name. While calling 

 your attention to these, I wish to express to you my indebtedness to him for im- 

 portant aid also in the labors, the results of which are given in the chapters on 

 northwestern Iowa and on the gypsum region of Fort Dodge ; of both of which he 

 may with propriety be regarded as the joint author. Of the results of his labors 

 the public have now an opportunity to judge, but I would do injustice to myself if 

 I should allow this opportunity to pass without expressing to your Excellency my 

 unqualified admiration of the manner in which he has performed his arduous duties 

 during the past three years. He has shrunk from no labor, however severe, and 

 from no exposure, however extreme, whenever labor and exposure were necessary 

 to further, in any degree, the interests of the work. All but one of the maps, all 

 diagrams, figures, and sketches which illustrate this report are also the work of 

 his hands. 



The chapter on Chemistry, by Prof. Rush Emery, formerly of the Iowa State 



