Wishing to accomplish all that was possible for the development of fuel for our State, early in September last I sent my assistant to the counties of Franklin, Wright, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Worth and Winnebago, for the purpose of examining that region for deposits of peat, while I continued the examinations in relation to the coal - field. Peat will no doubt be found in large quantities in other parts of the State, but for reasons suggested by the character of the surface in relation to the streams of that region, climate, &c., it was thought to be one of the most favorable for present investigations of this kind; beside which, it is entirely beyond the limits of the coal - field, and within it no other fuel except wood may be expected.

My instructions to my assistant were that he should report to me at the end of every week, that I might give the results to the people through the public press as soon as they were ascertained, but I regret to say that I have received no report from him for more than three months, in consequence of which I have been obliged remove him, and have appointed Mr. Orestes H. St. John, of Waterloo, Black Hawk county, in his stead. I continued my field- work until the 10th of November last, at which time the weather became too inclement to prosecute it further for the present season.

The more prominent results of the field - work may be briefly stated as follows: That formation known among geologists as the coal- measures consists in our State of a succession of strata of sandstone, limestone, sandy, clayey and carbonaceous shales, marls and coal; and is divided into the upper and lower series. The lower series only is found along eastward and northward of the Des Moines River Valley, and consists principally of shales and sandstone, together with the coal. Very little limestone is found associated with them, and that is always more or less impure. This series contains all the productive coal-beds, and consequently furnishes nearly all the coal now obtained in the State. The upper series consists principally of limestone, with some fine-grained sandstone and marly shale. It is not known to exist at all northward and eastward of the Des Moines River, but to the southward and westward of that river it reaches a maximum development of one hundred and seventy-five feet in thickness. There are at least two carbonaceous horizons in this series, one of which embraces the only bed of coal yet found in the western part of the State. The other is of limited extent, usually showing a thin seam of highly carbonaceous matter, but in the form of shale, and entirely worthless. The bed of coal referred to finds its greatest development along the valleys of the Nodaways, in the counties of Adams, Taylor and Page, and is there, at most, only twenty inches in thickness. Its horizon has been recognized in most of the counties referred to, but the coalbed is found to diminish in thickness to the eastward, westward and southward, so that in these directions little is seen except a thin band of carbonaceous matter of no economic value, as its representative. The strata of this series are nearly horizontal in an easterly and westerly direction, so that one, in passing from Madison or Clark to Fremont or Pottawatamie counties, would be, in geological language, constantly upon the line of strike, the dip of all the strata being to the southward, and nearly coincident with the fall of the streams.

In all that region of the south-western part of the State, comprising the thirteen or fourteen full counties, named, the only accessible rocks are those of the upper coal - measure series, which in the deeper valleys of Madison county at least, I found resting upon the upper part of the lower series, as at present understood; eastward from which point, the upper series rapidly disappears, and the lower, with its coal, becomes accessible.

This determination of the relative position of the strata of the western and central parts of the State, which was first made known by my labors during the past season, becomes a matter of very great economic interest to the people, for upon it depends the direction of intelligent effort in future investigations for coal. It is known that the upper series, in the region referred to, contains too little coal for the uses of the inhabitants, but it is not contrary to any known principles of geology to expect to find the lower series, with its coal - beds, extending beneath the upper series to the western part of the State, by sinking shafts of not impracticable depth down to them.

During the progress of the field-work, I wrote frequent articles for the public press, explanatory of its results, in accordance with the law. I herewith transmit to you printed copies of the same, thirty-three in number, as a part of my report. The desire on the part of the principal newspapers of the State to obtain these communications has been so great that I have prepared from two to four manuscript copies of each one of them, and sent them simultaneously to as many newspaper offices for publication. These have again been copied into other papers of the State; in addition to which the leading newspapers of the neighboring States have frequently made copious extracts therefrom.

A large quantity of material has been collected, consisting of minerals, fossils, soils, clays, fuels, samples of building- rocks, mineral waters, &c., &c. I have not yet had time to fully investigate and arrange these collections, but they are known not only to comprise much that the State Cabinet has never before contained, but also a number of species not before found in the West, some of which are yet new to science. My first care will be to label and arrange these collections in such a manner that a knowledge of their ownership, geological position and location can not be lost. Those of which it is desirable to have chemical analyses and investigations made, are in the hands of the chemist. By reference to his report, herewith annexed, it will be seen that he has entered upon his work with an earnest. ness and care which give promise of the most satisfactory results. It is proposed to devote a considerable part of the time during the winter months to the critical investigation of these collections, and whenever it may be necessary to secure to the State the credit of priority in those labors, the results will be published in some of the scientific periodicals of the country in advance of my final report. After this has been done, the specimens will be distributed according to law.

The Faculty of the State University have generously given me the free and exclusive use of their large cabinet room for an office, and in which to study and arrange the collections. The railroad-companies of the State give me free access to the records of their surveys, and offer me all facilities for investigation that can

be desired. I find the people much interested in the progress of the work, and everywhere kind and obliging. As soon as the weather will admit of field operations in the Spring, it is proposed to take up that work where it was left at the close of the season just passed, giving especial attention to the subjects of coal and peat.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

CHARLES A. WHITE,
State Geologist.

REPORT OF THE CHEMIST.

TO DR. C. A. WHITE, State Geologist:

SIR: I herewith submit the following as a report of progress of the chemical investigations connected with the survey: Up to date, two hundred and thirtytwo numbers of specimens have been received at the laboratory for examination; many of these numbers representing duplicates. The material thus accumulated by you during the first season of the survey, is not only large in amount, but also of great intrinsic value for the scientific and economic mineralogy of the State. The specimens have all been labeled by numbers, which numbers are here used to designate them.

I. MINERAL WATERS

Have been received from Mt. Pleasant (114), Ottumwa (121), Bloomfield (24), and near Salt Creek, Davis county, (72); also, water and its peculiar sediment from the Missouri River (187) Of these, the first four have been analyzed. These analyses, together with one of a spring water made for the Iowa Hospital for the Insane, constitute the only analyses yet made of the waters of the State.

II. ROCKS AND SOILS.

A considerable number have been received. No. 8 from Burlington, Nos. 77 and 78 from Madison county, and No. 79 from Adair county, have been examined; No. 10 from Clarke's quarry, near Iowa City, has been analyzed, and found to owe its dark color to phosphate of protoxide of iron. As phosphates are especially fertilizing, it will be important to investigate other rocks in the same direction. Of soi's, none have been as yet analyzed; such analysis can be more expeditiously and accurately made when a larger number of samples shall have been collected.

III. COAL AND PEAT.

The analyses of coals made by Prof. Whitney, the former State Chemist, have been discussed. These analyses plainly show, that the combustible part in the Iowa coals is very nearly uniform, consisting of forty-five per cent of bitumen and fifty-five per cent of fixed carbon; the great variation observed in the difierent coals analyzed being due to the varying proportions of ashes and moisture associated with the combustible part. The theoretical bearing of these results upon the formation of coal is apparent. Their practical importance is also very plain, for a determination of the amount of ashes of the dried coal is

equivalent to the more elaborate analysis. It will be important to make many further analyses, in order to ascertain whether the same law will hold good for all Iowa coals.

Of new analyses, the following have been made: (124) cannel coal from Mt. Pleasant, Henry county; (136) coal from Bentonsport, Van Buren county; (123) peat from Solon, Johnson County; (125) peat from Mason City, Cerro Gordo county; (126) the same condensed.

Celestine. The specimens brought by you from Fort Dodge proved to be sulphate of Strontia or Celestine, which according to Whitney has not before been recognized in any locality west of Ohio.- Wisconsin Report, page 113.

Gypsum. Nos. 9, 29 and 35, from Dubuque; No. 23 from Fort Dodge; the latter white, and almost chemically pure.

Barytes or Heary Spar. Nos. 4 and 5, from Bremer county; No. 7, from Decatur county; Nos. 40, 42, and others, from Dubuque.

Epsomite or Sulphate of Magnesia. (Nos. 167 and 168) discovered by you some years ago near Burlington.

Cale spar in many varieties, as No. 16. Dog-tooth spar: geodes from Waverly, Bremer county; No. 17, the same with Brown spar covering; Nos. 33 and 48, Spars, and other varieties from Dubuque; Nos. 2 and 3, Anthraconite in fine columnar masses from Waverly, Bremer county. Nos. 60 and other, Rock Milk, from Dubuque; 177, Dog - tooth spar, from Iowa Falls.

Manganese, has been found in dendrites on slabs from Anamosa, (Nos. 13 and 14) on calcareous spars from Waverly, (No. 17) and Iowa Falls, (177.) It has also been detected as Wad (60, 61, 67) and Pyrolusite (47) from Dubuque.

Zinc, lead, and iron ores have been received and determined, but not yet analyzed.

The fine collection of geodes from Bentonsport has been partially investigated. The full investigation of this mineralogical treasure will require much further labor.

The specimen No. 121 from Red Rock, Marion county, will probably prove to be a new mineral species.

A full analysis has been made of clay from Iowa Falls; No, 20 is a remarkably pure marly clay; No. 21, a fire clay containing some ferruginous sand, and well adapted to various kinds of fine pottery.

From the work already done, both in regard to the material collected in the field, and the study in the laboratory, I may venture to predict that your final report will contain a chapter on the scientific and economic mineralogy of Iowa, consisting of the results of investigations, hitherto only barely commenced.

GUSTAVUS HINRICHS,

Chemist.