Fortu-seventh Annual Meeting. 17 



3(i. Wood staining by fuming. J. A. Yates. 



37. A Study of the Gelatinizing Agents, Pasty Materials, and Thick- 



eners Used in Food Products. Leon A. Congdon. 



38. The Loss of Nitrogen and Organic Matter in Cultivated Kansas Soils 



and the Effect of this Loss on the Crop-producing Power of the 

 Soil. C. O. Swanson. 



39. Kaw Valley Anticline. E. C. Warfel. 



40. A Deep Well at Elmdale. A. J. Smith. 



41. Municipal Illumination. J. A. G. Shirk. 



42. America's Opportunity in Science. S. W. Tidd. 



43. Malignant Tumors. J. W. McWharf. 



44. Echinacea. Grace Meeker. 



From this list the Program Committee selected No. 15, "The 

 Use of Benzidine Hydrochloride in the Determination of Sul- 

 phates in Water," as the first to be read. 



There was no discussion of the paper, and No. 18, "Search 

 for Potash in Kansas," was the next paper posted, which was 

 read by the author, E. E. Lyder. 



Professor Sayre remarked on the old way of obtaining 

 potash by lixiviating the ashes of wood or of corncobs and then 

 using the lye to make soap, and by evaporating the lye in 

 kettles or pots they obtained the dry product, or potash of 

 commerce. 



Professor Wooster thought the potash in Kansas soils was 

 derived ultimately from the decomposition of granite from 

 the Wichita and Ozark mountains. 



Professor Twenhofel said that marine fossils are found in 

 Kansas soils which are known to contain potash, but he re- 

 gards it very uncertain how potash deposits were made in 

 Kansas. 



Professor Wooster asked if analyses had been made from 

 the salt water from deep wells. Mr. Lyder said he had tested 

 for bromine and iodine and one or two samples for potash, 

 but he found only a very little. 



Professor Bruckmiller said that in a well 2000 feet deep, in 

 Denison, Tex., 226 parts per million of potash had been found, 

 which was regarded as quite encouraging. 



The next paper was No. 38, on "The Loss of Nitrogen and 

 Organic Matter in Cultivated Kansas Soils and the Effect of 

 this Loss on the Crop-producing Power of the Soil," by C. 0. 

 Swanson. 



Profe.ssor Swanson remarked that Kansas soils are un- 

 usually rich in potassium, the average being about two per 



9 



