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That it met with popular approval is attested by the results. Replies began to come in at once and much information of real value was obtained. In order that this might be made most available, I prepared the following circular, of which copies were sent to every county in the state:

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF TEXAS.
Circular No. 3.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, INSURANCE, STATISTICS, AND HISTORY,
AUSTIN, TEXAS, November 1, 1888.

DEAR SIR—Enclosed you will find a map of your county, and a list of the Economic Minerals reported to be found in Texas. Those marked * are either reported from, or supposed to exist in your county. We wish to obtain all the information we can concerning them, and respectfully ask that you will furnish such information as you may be able as indicated by the following requests and queries:

You will notice that in the list of minerals each item is preceded by a number. Please designate the locality in your county where any mineral has been found, by writing its number on the map at the place where found. If you wish to distinguish between two or more locations for any special purpose, such as different qualities of the same mineral, etc., add small letters to the number thus: 2a, 2b, 2c, etc.

TOPOGRAPHY.

If the streams and ravines laid down on the map are incorrect in any way, please make correction in red ink.

Are any of these streams or ravines so situated that by constructing suitable dams the water generally running off during heavy floods could be retained and used for irrigation? If so, please note possible localities.

Mark, if practicable, the location of any prominent hills or mountains, bluffs along the streams, and especially the course of any ranges of hills. If you have any record of the correct elevation of different points above the sea level, please give them.

GEOLOGY.

If you have made any personal observations on the different formations occurring in your county, or have access to the notes of others who have done so, please give us such information as you can regarding this subject, including boundaries of the different formations, stratigraphy, character of rocks, dip, strata, sections wherever it is possible to obtain them, and such fossils as may have been recognized.

What is the extent of beds of boulders, gravel, and sand in your county? If hilly, state on which side of hills you find the heaviest deposits.

What is the character of water found by digging? Through what kind of strata do the wells penetrate, and in what kind of bed is the water found? What efforts have been made to secure artesian water? What success? Was any record kept of the borings, which you can obtain for us?

What effort has been made to irrigate, and with what result?

What are the generally characteristic soils of the county? Are there any soils of exceptional fertility or of marked sterility? If so, please state location and extent, and send such specimens of each as you can obtain.

What alkali soils, if any, are found?

What stone suitable for building is found in your county? Please describe, giving locality and quantity, and also the number and location of quarries if any.

What limestone is there suitable for lime making? Are there any kilns in regular operation?

Is there any rock suitable for making hydraulic cement? Has it been used to any extent?

What sand deposits have you suitable for mortar and plaster?

Have you brick clays of good quality? Do they burn red, yellow, or white?

What fire clays have been found? To what extent have they been tested?

Do you find any potter's clay, kaolin, or (as it is sometimes called in Eastern Texas) chalk? Has any of it been mined and shipped to manufactories? Are there any factories in your county engaged in making pottery, sewer pipe, etc.?

Are there any bat caves or deposits of bat guano? If so, has the guano been used or shipped?

If copper exists, please state the manner of its occurrence, as well as locality, whether it is in loose pieces or embedded in rock.