22 DECEMBER 1894, Page 23

Economic Geology of the United States. By Professor Ralph S.

Tarr. (Macmillan.)—Apart from the usefulness of this book as a guide to the valuable minerals of the United States, it possesses the interest naturally attaching to the description of the wealth of a country perhaps more favourably situated than others in this respect In one particular, we in England have the advantage, that is, of course, the presence of coal in the same mine with the iron ore. Much of the States ore, superior as it is to ours, is un- workable except where water transport enables easily worked ore to be conveyed to smelting works. The description of the various precious metals, their locality in the States, and their output, becomes interesting when compared with the production of the rest of the world. The States are now in the heyday of their mining industries, and the production is enormous, that country taking, generally speaking, the lead both in extent of mining fields and production. The chapters on building materials are also capital reading. Gems the United States are deficient in, but then what does a democratic (?) people want with precious stones P This is a well-written and most readable account of the economic geology of the States.