The Mississippi Sitrz'cy. — Hilgard. 303 
in question. No such question was raised in Mississippi after 
the publication of my report of i860; and the legislative appro- 
priations for substantially similar work done bv me on behalf 
of agriculture have since been liberally maintained in Califor- 
nia, despite the conspicuous disfavor with which the geological 
survey of that state has for many years past been regarded 
by the public. Had that survey been adapted to the legitimate 
needs of the state, by proper diligence in the pursuit of its agri- 
cultural side, the discontinuance of the work could never have 
been carried through the legislature. 
As a striking exemplification of the change wrought in pub- 
lic sentiment by the energetic prosecution of agricultural sur- 
vey work, I may quote the action taken at the called session of 
the legislature of Missisippi in August, 1861. Under the terri- 
ble stress brought to bear on the state even then by the im- 
pending conflict, it would have been natural to expect the com- 
plete extinction of the appropriation for the survey work. In- 
stead of this, an act was passed suspending the appropriation 
for the geological survey "until the close of the war, and for 
twelve months thereafter ; except the sum of $1,250 per annum, 
which shall be applied to the payment of the salary of the state 
geologist, and the purchase of such chemicals as may be neces- 
sary to carry on the analysis of soils, minerals and mineral 
waters and to enable him to preserve the apparatus, analyses 
and other propcrt}- of the state connected with said survev. ' 
This appropriation was actually maintained during the entire 
struggle of the confederacy : and so far as the vicissitudes of 
war permitted, the chemical work (and even some field work) 
was continued by me during the same time. The scarcity of 
salt suggested a utilization of some of the saline waters and 
efflorescences so common in the southern part of tlie state, and 
some forty (unpublished) analyses of such saline mixtures are 
on record. T made an official report on the subject to Govern- 
or Pettus, dated June 9. 1862. I also made a special explora- 
tion on the several limestone caves of the state, with a view to 
the discovery of nitrous earths ; but from the fact that tliese 
caves are all traversed by lively streams. T found nowhere a 
sufficient accumulation of nitrates to render exploration useful. 
Soon after the beginning of active hostilities in Tennessee, 
the Universit\ facult\- having been dissolved. I was detailed bv 
