Carroll county contains many prime quarries of limestones, both for agricul-
tural and building purposes.

The principal limestones in the upper part of Carroll co., are the following:

No. 1. A white Limestone of fine crystalline texture.—Haines, Uniontown, Md.

No. 2. A dark gray variety, slatish and with crystals of Calcspar imbedded.
Rhinehart, Carroll county.

No. 3. A dark gray and homogeneous mass, of fine crystalline texture and
small white veins of Calcspar traversing.—Torrey's, Adams county, Pa.

They were found to be composed as follows:

Carbonate of Lime,
Carbonate of Magnesia,
Sand, Slate, &c,

No 1.	No. 2.	No. 3.
99.5	68.3	98.8
	11.5	0.5
0.5	20.2	0.7
100.
produce, of—
56.0	38.3	55.
	5.5	0.2
73.7	50.6	73.1
	8.0	0.3

And will, therefore, when burnt,
Caustic Lime,
Caustic Magnesia,
and, when water-slacked, of—
Water-slacked Lime,
Water-slacked Magnesia,
There yet remained for this Report a description of Baltimore county and
the tide-water part of Harford, and the analyses of Soils, Limestones and other
minerals of public interest, the analyses all having been made and the notes
of the description of the various sections of this part of the State taken from
observation on the spot, but not written out in a form fit for the press. This
could have been done in a few days, and would have been done by the present
time but for the sickness of the writer, and at as early a period as your pre-
decessors have received the report. The printer of my Report showed me on
yesterday, Feb. 22d, a note from the printer to your Honorable Body, of which
the following is a copy:

Feb. 21, 1858.
Sherwood & Co.

Gentlemen:—If Dr. Higgins does not furnish you with the balance of the copy
of his Report by 5 o'clock, P. M., on Tuesday next, the 23d inst., I order that the
work be closed and put in the binder's hands immediately thereafter.

Respectfully,                               Thos. J. Wilson.

From this imperious note there was no appeal, which I much regret.
There were several subjects to which I wished to call the attention of your
Honorable Body and the people of the State. One I will mention. Let the
State Chemist (if that office be continued) have the selection of his own printer,
and give him proper means to carry on his work. Then the Reports can be
laid on your desks in the early part of the session.

In the Supplementary Report to be made to His Excellency the Gov-
ernor, before the expiration of my term of office, the two counties of Baltimore
and Harford will be exclusively attended to.

The law gives the Governor the power of printing the same, and it can be
franked to all of the people of these counties. This Report will be much more
complete and full, than if the same subjects had been included here; as there
will be time for careful examination and correction of all errors, which was
not allowed for the present one.

I much regret to make so abrupt a conclusion to this my last Report to your
honorable body, from whom I have received nothing but marks of high con-
sideration and kindness. To you and those whom you represent, with many
of whom I have been on terms of affectionate intimacy for many years, I ten-
der my sincere wishes for peace, prosperity and happiness.

They are well remembered, and this is my sincere thought for them.

JAMES HIGGINS.

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