The natural resources of the United States

Preface

This Primer is designed to give the people of the United States a concise account of the Resources that Nature has bestowed upon their own land. These include coal and metals of various kinds ; a fertile soil, which a copious rainfall and a favorable climate render capable of producing abundant crops ; means of promoting domestic trade by navigable rivers ; and an extensive coast-line, with fine harbors to facilitate commerce with foreign lands.

It is not surprising that so many Americans of the intelligent class seem to be unaware of the immensity of these Resources, as their attention has not been directed to them in their manifold forms.

From the nature of the subjects treated of, the information given becomes of interest to every citizen, and is not intended for one class of persons only — such as students who are about to finish their school or college education. Such being the case, care has been taken to combine two objects : the one that, if required, this Primer can be used as a class-book, and for that reason questions for the pupils' use have been added; the other, to con-

PREFACE.

struct the work in a form suited also to the general reader, and to avoid as much as possible the usual formality of the mere text-book.

It is hoped the information here given will be specially valuable to American youth who are about to enter upon the active duties of life, as well as to those already thus engaged. In order to appreciate his own country properly, the citizen should be familiar with all the advantages it may possess.

The following works, among many others, have been consulted : Blodget, " Climatology " ; Professor M. F. Maury, " Physical Geography of the Sea " ; Professor A. Guyot, " Physical Geography " ; Daddow and Bannan, " Coal, Iron, and Oil " ; James Macfarlane, " Coal Regions of America " ; Professor J. Le Conte, " Geology " ; Professor Whitney, " Metals of the United States " ; " The American Cyclopaedia " ; and P. L. Simmonds, " Commercial Products of the Sea."

J. H. P.

New York, March, 1879.