January 27, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



103 



7,500 pounds per acre per j'ear. This deduetion 

 of course assumes that the dust falls occur with 

 equal frequency throughovit the year. Recog- 

 nizing that such an assumption is not warrant- 

 ed, we have made careful observation for the 

 last three j^ears to estimate whether the calcu- 

 lated amount might be below or above the 

 actual. And though accurate measurements 

 have been impossible we are convinced that at 

 least the amount given is deposited in this way 

 each year. The annual accmnulation, how- 

 ever, does not differ widely from this figure. 

 Many times repeated determinations of the 

 weight of an acre foot of this soil show it to be 

 very close to 2,450,000 pounds per acre. At 

 the rate of accumulation just given it would 

 require 326 years for the deposition of one 

 foot, or approximately four inches is deposited 

 in. one century. This is four times as much as 

 estimated by Free. If no erosion took place 

 during deposition, according to this estimate, 

 25,000 years were necessary for the deposition 

 of the seventy-five feet of soil that covers the 

 lava beds on this plateau. 



Considerable further work has been done by 

 the writer along this line but does not bear 

 direetljr upon the mode and rate of formation 

 of this soil. The work is now to be discon- 

 tinued unless some one else will take it up. 

 A fine problem is presented in historical 

 geology or physiography, and it is hoped that 

 some person remaining in the vicinity of these 

 interesting deposits will find time to take up a 

 study of them. A measurement of the depth 

 of the soil and more accurate measurements of 

 the rate of deposition are problems that will 

 lead to extremely interesting deductions regard- 

 ing the age of the various lava outflows. 



P. P. Peterson 

 Idaho Falls, Idaho 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR 

 THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 

 REPORT OF THE TREASURER FOR 1921 



In conformity with Article 15 of the Constitu- 

 tion and by direction of the Council, the treasurer 

 has the honor to submit the following report for 

 the period December 23, 1920, to December 19, 

 1921, both inclusive. 



The total of cash receipts during the year is 

 $7,064.65. Disbursements made in accordance 

 with directions of the Council amounted to 

 $7,959.93. These include $2,172.36 for purchase 

 of $2,500 of the United States Second Liberty 

 Loan bonds for the association and held as an 

 investment. 



The total amount of funds of the association 

 consisting of cash, cost value of securities pur- 

 chased, and appraised value of securities received 

 from the Colburn estate is $121,414.77. 



A detailed statement is appended. 



BoBEET S. Woodward, 



Treasurer. 

 Washington, D. C, 



Decembee 19, 1921 



Balance Sheet — Decembee 19, 1921 

 Assets 

 Investments : 



Securities (Exhibit "A") $121,414.77 



Cash in banks 5,58o.90 



$127,000.67 

 Liabilities 

 Funds : 



Life and Sustaining Membership: 



438 at $ 50 $21,900 



16 at $100 1,600 



6 Sustaining 6,000 



$ 29,500.00 



Jane M. Smith Fund 5,000.00 



W. Hudson Stephens Fund 4,881.21 



Colburn Fund 77,755.74 



Accumulated Investments 4,777.83 



Unappropriated Interest 5,585.90 



$127,000.67 

 Cash Statement 

 Eeceipts 

 1920 



Dec. 28 — Balance from last report $ 6,481.18 



Interest from securities $5,834.24 



Interest from bank balance.— 30.41 

 Eevertment of grant made to 



Theo. Hough 100.00 



11 life commutations, 1921..- 1,100.00 



7,064.65 



$ 13,545.83 

 Disbuesements 

 Investments: 



$2,500 U. S. Second Liberty Loan: 



Purchase price $2,170.80 



Interest purchased 38.07 



Commission 1.56 



$ 2,210.43 



Grants : 



Gerald L. Wendt $ 200.00 



Graham Edgar 200.00 



Sebastian Albreeht 200.00 



Caroline E. Furness 200.00 



Frank B. Taylor 300.00 



