780 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXX. No. 779 



should at once organize a state soil survey, 

 and push it towards completion as rapidly 

 as the facilities provided by the state and 

 federal government will permit. This is 

 fundamental to all agricultural progress. 

 Later, surveys of special industries or crops 

 should be instituted, to determine upon 

 what types of soil and tinder what condi- 

 tions they are succeeding and under what 

 conditions they fail, that it may form the 

 basis of researches to point out the way to 

 make them successful under all conditions. 



A corn and forage plant survey, to ex- 

 tend the boundary of successful farming 

 still further westward, is an enterprise in 

 which this state can well aiford to engage. 



Conserving Water Power.— These efforts 

 should not be limited to agriculture. A 

 series of investigations and experiments 

 looking toward the conservation and util- 

 ization of the water supply of the state, 

 for the purposes of both irrigation and 

 power, is a duty which the college owes to 

 the public. There are doubtless many lo- 

 calities in which sufScient power could in 

 this way be developed to supply the needs 

 of farm and village within the radius of 

 twenty or more miles. In many other 

 places hydraulic power could be developed 

 sufficient to furnish light and power for 

 from one to a dozen farms. 



The loss to crops from improperly dis- 

 tributed rainfall in this state is enormous. 

 In many places water could be economic- 

 ally stored during the wet seasons, to be 

 used for irrigation purposes when the rains 

 fail. In other localities, the underground 

 supply of water might be profitably util- 

 ized by a proper method of pumping. 



The protection of life and property 

 against floods is a matter of serious impor- 

 tance, and commends itself to our favor- 

 able consideration. Water purification 

 and sewage disposal are as yet unsolved 



problems for the greater proportion of the 

 state. 



Tests should be carried on to determine 

 the draft and efficiency of farm imple- 

 ments with the expectation of esitablishing 

 standard desig-ns for the difl^erent condi- 

 tions of soil. 



Kansas produces gas, oil and coal in 

 large quantities. Much of this has been 

 wasted in the past and is being wasted 

 under present conditions. A series of 

 tests conducted on a commercial scale will 

 do much towards establishing standard 

 methods for the preparation and use of 

 these materials. 



The gasoline engine will, for some time 

 to come, be the principal prime mover for 

 small units in this state. The cost of gaso- 

 line is constantly increasing. Under pres- 

 ent conditions denatured alcohol can not 

 be used economically. Investigations that 

 will lead to methods of manufacture of 

 denatured alcohol at a low price, and to 

 methods of producing gas from Kansas 

 coal successfully, will do much to extend 

 the use of this type of engine and to 

 cheapen the cost of power. 



THE COUNTRY EOAD 



Of more importance than all of these is 

 the country highway. We have, through 

 long use, worn out the natural roads, and 

 have not yet found a successful substitute. 

 Through the recently created department 

 of public highways of the college, however, 

 it is expected that we shall be able to edu- 

 cate the people concerning the importance 

 of this matter. Moreover, through this 

 means the college is now pointing out the 

 most satisfactory way of maintaining earth 

 roads, imparting information in regard to 

 the best systems of permanent culverts and 

 bridges, and as rapidly as the people of a 

 community M'ill assume tlie cost, will super- 

 vise the construction of permanent roads. 



At all times the people have been found 



