PKESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES. 39 



WATER-SUPPLIES OF SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. 



By Edwaed Baetow, of the University of Kansas, Lawrence. 



An address delivered at Topeka, December 30, 1904, before the thirty-sixth annual meeting of 

 the Kansas Academy of Science. 



TN choosing the subject for the address this evening, I have taken 

 -■- occasion to glance over the subjects of the papers that have been 

 used in similar addresses since the by-law was passed requiring an 

 address by the retiring president. 



These subjects have been of various natures ; some dealing with 

 the relation of science to everyday life, or to the schools, or to the 

 nineteenth century, or to the state. Others are of a more special 

 scientific nature, dealing with a chemical, an astronomical, a geolog- 

 ical or a biological subject. Still others deal with scientific problems, 

 the solution of which should be undertaken by the state. I would 

 place mine this evening in the last class. 



I might have chosen as a title for my address one analogous to 

 that of President Brown, delivered in 1884. His title was, "Is a 

 Geological Survey of the State a Necessity?" My title might be, 

 "Is a Chemical Survey of the State a Necessity ?" or, to speak boldly, 

 "A Chemical Survey of the State is a Necessity." 



The chemical work in the state has been limited. The work done, 

 though very limited, has been very valuable in respect to the analyses 

 of coal, gypsum, and mineral waters. Also, at the Experiment Station 

 of the State Agricultural College at Manhattan, systematic M'ork is 

 being done in the examination of farm products and fertilizers. While 

 I know that the state should provide a chemical survey of its minerals, 

 including oil, gas, coal, salt, gypsum, lead and zinc ores, and should 

 make provision for the chemical analysis to prevent food adulteration, 

 I have chosen to confine myself in this address to the water-supplies 

 of the state. 



Owing to the size of the state, I have chosen to speak in detail of 

 only the southeastern section ; therefore my title, which appears on 

 the program, "Water-supplies of Southeastern Kansas." I trust that, 

 by a description of the conditions existing in that small section of 

 the state, I may show you that a chemical survey of the water-supplies 

 of the entire state will be of advantage, nay, will be or even is a 

 necessity. 



I will deal only with the watersheds of the Marais des Cygnes, 

 Neosho and Verdigris rivers, because I have made some systematic 

 examination of the water of these three rivers. These rivers drain all 

 or part of twenty-two counties, having an area of 14,000 square miles, 



