February 3, 1905.] 



this large amount of nitrogen which has 

 ah-eady flowed from the well, an amount equal 

 to not less than 125 million cubic feet meas- 

 ured at atmospheric pressure. A little farther 

 east in the state there are hundreds of natural 

 gas wells which produce a natural gas similar 

 to that of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

 For comparison a few analyses from different 

 places in the state are here added, made by 

 Professor E. H. S. Bailey, of the University 

 of Kansas, years ago. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF KANSAS NATURAL GAS. 



EXPRESSED IN PER CENTS. 



Components of Gas. 



Paola. 



Osawatamie. j 



lola. 



Cherryvale. 



Cofteyville. 



Indepen- 

 dence. 



Hydrogen, H 



0.00 



0.00 



0.00 



0.00 



0.00 



0.00 



Oxvgen, 



0.45 



trace 



0.45 



0.22 



0.12 



trace 



Nitrogen 



2.34 



0.(i0 



7.76 



5.94 



2.21 



3.28 



Carbon in-oxide,CO. 



1.57 



1.33 



1.23 



1.16 



0.91 



0.33 



Carbon dioxide, COj 



0.33 



0.22 



0.90 



0.22 



0.00 



0.44 



Ethylene series, 















CjH^, etc 



0.11 



0.22 



0.00 



0.00 



0.35 



0.67 



Marsh gas, CH^ 



95.20 



97.63 



89.66 92.46 



96.41 



95.28 



It will be seen from the above table that 

 oxygen is present in small quantities in almost 

 all the samples analyzed and that nitrogen is 

 present in all of them, reaching to a little 

 over seven per cent, in gas from lola. It is 

 possible, of course, that a small amount of air 

 was left in the gathering flask, but not prob- 

 able. If so the amount of oxygen present 

 would correspond to a proportionate amount 

 of nitrogen, much less than is given in the 

 table. Therefore, we may conclude that traces 

 of nitrogen are usually present in Kansas 

 natural gas. Carbon monoxide and carbon 

 dioxide also are present in small quantity, but 

 almost all the volume is marsh gas, CH,, 

 which reaches 97.63 per cent, in one sample. 

 But in the Dexter gas no oxides of carbon 

 could be found. 



If we assume that the Dexter gas represents 

 a volume of air which in some way was em- 

 bedded hundreds of feet beneath the surface, 

 then a number of interesting inquiries are 

 presented, such as: What became of the 

 oxygen? If it was consumed or absorbed by 

 organic matter then why is the gas totally 



v.n 



void of the oxides of carbon which are found 

 present in small quantities in almost all nat- 

 ural gases? Is it possible that ground water 

 absorbed the oxygen from a mass of air, leav- 

 ing large quantities of nitrogen unabsorbed? 

 Under ordinary conditions the ratio of absorp- 

 tion for oxygen and nitrogen by water is dif- 

 ferent from the ratio between the two gases in 

 the atmosphere. It is possible that ground 

 water simply absorbed the oxygen, leaving a 

 residue of nitrogen unabsorbed. It must be 

 confessed this hardly looks probable. But 

 even if it is possible the most important ques- 

 tion yet remains, namely, how did so large a 

 volume of air become entombed in the ground ? 

 I'he writers hereof are unable to advance any 

 views on this phase of the subject. 



Erasmus Ha worth, 

 D. F. McFarland. 



COMMENT. 



Under the view that the earth's atmosphere 

 and hydrosphere represent volatile matter 

 forced out from the interior of the shrinking 

 globe, the Dexter nitrogen supply is simple 

 and natural. It is one of many indications 

 that the interior supply of gases is not ex- 

 hausted and that the atmosphere is still grow- 

 ing. H. L. Fairchild. 



THE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE IN 

 SOUTH CAROLINA. 



Clemson Agricultural College of South 

 Carolina has recently completed a commodious 

 building for the purpose of teaching the sci- 

 ences related to agriculture. This building 

 was dedicated to its use on August 9, by ap- 

 propriate exercises. On that occasion Hon. 

 J. E. Tindal, of South Carolina, delivered an 

 address and dedicated the building to the 

 prosecution of agricultural sciences. There 

 was present a large audience of farmers and 

 prominent men from different portions of 

 South Carolina and neighboring states. The 

 following is a synopsis of Mr. Tindal's speech : 



The dedication of the building, he said, 

 marks the seeming completion of the college. 

 This building was put up last because the 

 work of agriculture could be carried on better 

 than could the work of other departments 



SCIENCE. 



