NOTES ON THE SALT MARSH PLANTS OF 
NORTHERN KANSAS." 
JoHN H. SCHAFFNER. 
All through the central part of Kansas salt marshes and salt 
springs are quite common, and small salt licks are found in 
most parts of the state.. Perhaps the largest of these marshes 
sthe Big marsh, which stretches along Big Marsh creek from 
the northwest part of Cloud county through the southwest 
comer of Republic county, and for several miles into Jewell 
‘ounty. The writer visited this marsh in August 1897 in order 
to study the vegetation of the region. It is about seven miles 
long, and varies from a quarter to a mile in width.. The marsh 
Proper is a malodorous black bog, and large stretches are abso- 
; lately without vegetation. In the lower part of the marsh, in 
Cloud county, where the main observations were made, it is over 
‘mile wide and there are places where one may walk for half a 
nile without finding a shoot of any kind. The salt, at a dis- 
_‘fanee, looks like a light covering of snow. Although the 
“et had been very dry for a long time before my visit, a 
oo of water was flowing through the shallow ‘bee of 
ties sis yand the surface of the marsh was quite moist and 
=! Muddy in places, being springy under foot. A beautiful 
: lig | PPeared in the distance over the marsh, which looked 
: “agg Inviting lake of pure water with green patch of 
dificult ces complete was the resemblance that it was very 
in i lieve that the phantom lake was not real water. 
“= eda the conditions are still quite natural, large 
the sai: § never yet been fenced. However, it 1s said that 
— Oun ‘a area has diminished much since the settlement of the 
the distr; he most striking feature is the utter barrenness of 
e ct when compared with the surrounding country, and the 
from the botanical laboratory of Ohio State University. I. 
i . 
: gy Mtbatons 
