Report of Committee on Natural History Survey. 601 
Educational Value of Maps .—Upon the educational side, con¬ 
tour maps are of scarcely less advantage. The local maps would 
at once be used in every properly taught school in the state. 
The teacher could show how the maps express the character of 
the country, and thus give the child an understanding of the 
use of topographical maps of all the countries, so that in look¬ 
ing at them he would have a proper idea of the relief of any 
country about which he wished to know. There being for a 
large part of the state no topographical maps at the present 
time, the teacher is unable to illustrate the manner in which 
proper maps show the character of the country, and therefore 
the pupils with great difficulty understand the maps which have 
been published for other parts of the Union and the world. 
School Manuals .—The proposed survey provides for the pre¬ 
paration of school manuals of physicial geography, botany, 
and zoology, which will be adapted to the schools of the state. 
The state superintendent of public instruction has repeatedly 
asked that manuals be prepared which would tell about the phys¬ 
ical features, the plants and animals of the state, which he 
could introduce into our schools. However, it has been impos¬ 
sible to prepare such manuals, because nowhere is proper infor¬ 
mation available. It is the duty of the proposed natural his¬ 
tory survey to supply this information, and to prepare the manu¬ 
als. Thus the children of the state will have books which will 
give them accurate information upon the minerals and ores, the 
physical features, the plants and animals of our commonwealth. 
Economic Reports .—The survey also provides for special re¬ 
ports on subjects of economic importance. These shall be pre¬ 
pared in such form as to be of direct service to the people; that 
is, after any subject is worked up, a bulletin will be prepared in 
simple and plain language upon the subject, so that any person 
wanting information upon it can be supplied with this bulletin. 
Scarcely a week passes but one or more letters come to Madison 
directed to that non-existent officer, the state geologist, asking 
information upon some point of importance to the waiter. 
These special reports are designed to give full practical infor¬ 
mation in reference to each of the individual material products 
of the state. 
