DRAINAGE AND CHARACTER OF WATER. 71 



water stands longer, and in the rainy season the mud may continue 

 for a few weeks or a month. Such cases only attract attention be- 

 cause of the general dryness of the roads. Less road tax is needed 

 than in any other State. The obstacles to good roads are the 

 creek and river crossings, which are everywhere being rapidly 

 bridged. It is sometimes objected that there are peat bogs in the 

 State, and, at long intervals, a few marshes. These are, however, 

 the remnants of old lakes, and these, having a small accumulation 

 of clay on their bottoms, retain the water, and make possible that 

 accumulation of peaty matter, much of which may eventually be- 

 come important for fuel. 



Character of the Water. 



The commonest ingredient of the water of springs and wells is 

 carbonate of lime. Then follow, in minute and varying quanti- 

 ties, in different springs, carbonate of potash and soda, sulphate of 

 potash, magnesia, soda and lime, chlorides of sodium, and potas- 

 sium, and iron and free carbonic acid. Many springs are free from 

 the most of these salts. Carbonate of lime, the commonest of 

 these impurities, is seldom present in injurious quantites. Perhaps 

 three-fourths of the springs and wells of the State contain it, in 

 amount varying from a trace to distinctly hard water. There are 

 many springs and wells whose waters are remarkably soft. Those 

 along the Bow Rivers are mainly of this character. Generally, 

 where springs emerge from the gravel beds and pebble, or strata 

 of sand in the Drift, the waters are soft, and otherwise remarkably 

 pure. Wells sunk into such deposits are also apt to be free from 

 lime, or contain it in only minute quantity. On the other hand, 

 water obtained in the Loess, whether from springs or from wells, 

 • has a perceptible quantity of carbonate of lime, and a small quan- 

 tity of iron in solution. There are also strata in the Drift contain- 

 ing a large amount of lime, and this often is the source of the 

 hardness of the water that proceeds from this deposit. In general, 

 the water of springs and wells is remarkably clear and cool, and 

 free from injurious ingredients. The reader, of course, under- 

 stands that such a thing as absolutely pure water is an impossi- 

 bility, except by distillation. It is the salts that natural water con- 

 tains that make it palatable. It rarely happens that any organic 

 matter is present in a spring or well, unless it gets there through 

 the carelessness of men. This leads us to consider the 



