situations arly times. ropes and 'causes of of even tions, and ind there or parts in he honey iarly deli inquepin. this time. chief re ippi-the it all ac and the quently a sit made red with nding as he sedi ad new wth, by ed out, hus re would I most seems The small species or Chinquepin, Castanea flourishes best on the rich bluff lands bordering Mississippi. Among the several species of our wild plums which are fit for use until preserved in the sweetmeats or jellies, I notice a small blue sp sembling in color the damson. It was obs greatest abundance, on Pearl River, in Marion and is sometimes called "the Sloe." The fi small size, but pulpy, with a very small pit. T seem more vigorous, healthy, and prolific than species of the wild plum, producing the fruit ab in clusters. It is doubtless worthy of cultiva introduction into our orchards. The service-tree, Aronia Arbutifolia, found and Wilkinson Counties, is rather a novelty, trees having been met with. Although our fan palm or Palmetto, Sabal (the Sabal adansoni, of Loudon, and Sabal Nuttall), grows with the greatest luxuriance, in swamp lands; yet it is met with sometimes, arid and elevated situations, and is abundan seaboard, growing on the sandy pine lands, s on the very verge of the ocean. Some of our noxious plants are not exclus pests of the South. The Jamestown weed stramonium, and the Cocklebur, Zanthium str have a very wide geographical range. They] observed, growing with the greatest luxurian New England States, and, on the rocky Nahant, are moistened by the spray from of the ocean dashing over the rocks on w thrive. space allotted to this branch of the report will of no further extension of these remarks. additional observations which have been made, e information acquired in reference to our Flora, onsequently be deferred to another occasion. } THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUST JACKSON, MISS., January 1 His Excellency JOHN J. MCRAE, Governor of Mississippi. SIR-In pursuance of an order of the Trustees of the University of Mississippi, I here before you the Report of Prof. B. L. C. Waile Agriculture, Geology, and Natural History of Mi and in doing so, I embrace the occasion to ex entire satisfaction of the Board with the able m which the professor has discharged the duty w been assigned him. With due respect, your obedient servant, B. MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR MCRAE TO THE LI TURE. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, January 1 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I invite the attention of the two houses to th of Prof. B. L. C. Wailes, Geological Departmer University, on the Agriculture, Geology, and 1 History of Mississippi, which, in pursuance of er of the Board of Trustees of the University has resented as required by law to the Governor, and I have the honor to submit for the consideration Legislature. Board of Trustees express their entire satisfacth the able manner in which Prof. Wailes has ged his duties, and as an individual member of rd, I concur in their unanimous opinion in favor publication of the report. the first of a series, which will form the Geological of our State, and is preceded by an interesting al outline of the discovery and early settlement Mississippi Territory, with other valuable statisformation, which will be useful and interesting to ple of the State. commended the printing of the report by the ty of the Legislature in neat and durable style, such numbers as will be sufficient for distribution own State, and for partial distribution in other ld the printing of the report be ordered as recom, it is proper to say that I am informed by Prof. that the preliminary historical outline is not ennished, the period during which the country was to the Spanish rule having yet to be supplied to down to the time of the surrender of the counhe United States. department of Zoology is also incomplete, and e blanks in the tables of statistics, to be filled up he census returns are published, and several epresenting the fossils and geological sections, reproperly to illustrate the report, are yet to be These can all be perfected, and the report b by the State Geologist, before it is printed. I accompany the report with the letter of t dent of the Board of Trustees, of the Univer mitting it to the Governor. C. JOHN J. M REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE SEN IN THE SENATE. Mr. Cobb, from a Select Committee, made the report : MR. PRESIDENT-The Select Committee, to w referred the special message of his Excellency, o cated to the Senate on the 17th inst., togethe manuscript copy of a scientific work, by Prof of the Geological Department of the State U and recommending the publication of the sam authority of the Legislature, have had the san consideration, and do earnestly advise that pro made for carrying into effect his Excellency mendations. The advantages to be derived from the circu a work so eminently meritorious as this, u patronage of the Legislature, cannot be ques easily calculated; for it will, in all likelihood, pi the initiative step to great attainments in devel scientific talent and resources of our State. Science, in many of its branches, as we are t history, can never be successfully prosecuted o subserve extended useful purposes without patronage; and in the absence of any inc |