66 KANSAS CITY R'EVJEW OF SCIENCE. 



The soil is very rich and productive, and a good supply of water would make it 

 one of the finest stock countries in the world. Fine forests would spring up in 

 all parts, and the cereals and grasses would become more certain and abundant. 



In Western Texas, the wonderful springs and the dip of the strata led to the 

 boring of artesian wells. It was noticed that the springs were fed from a great 

 distance, probably from the mountains, as they were not affected by the local 

 rainfall. The Texas Pacific Railroad was rewarded in finding an abundance of 

 the finest water in the artesian wells which they bored at Toyah, Texas;, and at 

 other places. The same results would probably follow in Western Kansas, and 

 therefore, it is hoped that the people at Russell may thoroughly test this matter, 

 which has such a vital interest to the welfare of the people living in this portion of 

 the State. 



Mr. F. C. Jerome, of Russell, has very kindly furnished me the following 

 statement regarding this artesian well : 

 Prof. John D. Parker. 



Dear Sir. — Inclosed please find a report of the artesian well at this place, 

 together with an analysis and classification of the rocks and shales, which you 

 requested me to write for the Kansas City Review of Science. 



The most important question in Western Kansas is that of irrigation. This 

 want does not arise from the fact that this portion of the State is barren, or that 

 the general rain-fall is not sufficient. There are times, at least every few years, 

 when drouths^ more or less local, visit this section, entailing thereby many fail- 

 ures of certain crops, and it is from these visitations that has arisen the question 

 of irrigation — how to provide for wheat and corn and other products when the 

 rain-fall shall prove insufficient. As yet. Western Kansas is a 'very new field for 

 agricultural pursuits, but very far from being unprofitable or experimental. In 

 coming years it will be one of the grandest countries for farm products of every 

 description, that the nation has ever seen, but now, being in its infancy, it must 

 learn to creep before it can walk. The vast chalk beds must be decomposed and 

 allowed to give out the immense quantity of lime and carbonic gas they contain, 

 the crude gypsum must be made to unite with the soil by cultivation, and this 

 cultivation to be successful must have an abundance of moisture to assist it in 

 properly preparing the ground. The charactistic drouths that occasionally visit 

 this section are mainly due to the newness of the country and the chemical 

 changes going on with the minerals in the ground. 



It was to solve this question definitely that the enterprising citizens of Rus- 

 sell voted bonds to the amount of $10,000 to sink an artesian well at this place, 

 and although the work is not yet completed, the developements give us some 

 very interesting facts to consider, and tell us something about this part of the 

 State that could not be known in any other manner. 



The following are the deposits encountered in the well up to the present 

 writing, together with their composition and position. I have given the rocks 

 the most careful examination, and they are exactly as reported : 



