Twenty-fib ST Annual Meeting. 



49 



The averages as given above are collected in the following table: 



Name. 



Cherokee 



Cherokee, (upper vein)... 



Fort Scott 



Leavenworth county 



Linn county 



Osage county 



Franklin county 



Cloud county 



Pittsburgh, Pa 



Nebraska 



Warren county, Missouri 



Water. 



1.94 

 2.08 

 2.94 

 2.69 

 2.07 

 ■B.76 

 7.55 

 13.70 

 1.31 

 4.93 

 6.75 



Volatile. 



36.77 

 35.32 

 41.76 

 39.21 

 39.42 

 41.59 

 44.40 

 46.14 

 36.61 

 38.17 

 36.40 



Fixed carbon. 



Ash. 



If the water and ash are eliminated in the calculation from the above results, as 

 is suggested in a recent report of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, the coals of 

 Kansas will be divided into five groups. In the first group are included the Chero- 

 kee coals; in the second, Fort Scott, Leavenworth and Linn counties; in the third, 

 Osage county; in the fourth, Franklin county; and in the fifth. Cloud county. 



The coals found in the extreme southeast are richer in fixed carbon or coke, and 

 this diminishes as we go toward the northwest. On the other hand, the volatile 

 matter is more abundant compared with the fixed carbon in the upper or northern 

 coals. There is uniformly more water in the Osage county coals and in those above 

 it, than in the lower coals. In regard to ash, Cherokee and Fort Scott contain the 

 least; the others contain from 10 to 12 per cent. 



As the sulphur is so unevenly distributed, an analysis for this was not made. Pre- 

 vious examinations, however, show that there exists from 2 to 5 per cent, of sulphur. 

 A part of this may be present in sulphate of lime, but much of it is united with iron 

 in iron pyrites. 



This examination was taken up for the purpose of preparing a report for the State 

 Board of Agriculture. The specimens reported above are identical with those dis- 

 cussed by Prof. L. I. Blake, in the article on "The Evaporative Power of Kansas 

 Coals," which appears at page 42 of this volume. 



In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge the very valuable assistance afforded me 

 by Mr. L. T. Smith, in the performance of a large part of the analytical work re- 

 quired in this investigation. 



ON THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF CORN-COBS. 



BY E. H. S. BAILEY, PH.D. 



[Abstraci.~\ 



The importance of utilizing all possible varieties of fuel is most apparent in those 

 parts of the country where fuel is scarce, so that the project to make use of any 

 waste material in a prairie region is in the direction of greater economy. 



Cobs bring a fair price as fuel in many towns in Kansas, but the chief difficulty 

 with their use is that they are so rapidly consumed. Some time ago, in connection 

 with E. L. Nichols, I made a few experiments on the possibility of obtaining gas 

 from the cobs, and by this means getting the fuel in a concentrated form. By heat- 

 ing the ground cobs in a small iron retort, it was found that gas was readily made. 

 This gas was not rich in those hydrocarbons which produce light, but contained more 

 carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen. By passing this gas through gasoline or some 

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