IN ANSWERING REFER TO No. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 



BUREAU OF MINES 



WASHINGTON Ilay 22, 1915. 



ilr. ';?alter Deane, 



29 Brewster Street , 

 Oarab ridge, I.fe.ss. 



Dear Mr. Deane : 



Your letter of Llay 17 reached oe in due season and 

 I was veiy gpLad to hear from jrou. I was sorry that you were unable 

 to call on rae at the Bureau of I.Iines v;hile you were in 7'asMngton 

 but I realize liow very busy you. were during yair visit here and 

 easily forgave your failure to get in to seo rae. 



With regard to the analysis of tlic soil from your area, 

 it is quite possible that prof. Pemald nay liave some student in 

 seme of his classes who could make the salt detenaination which 

 you desire. It would seera a veiy sinple natter for the determi- 

 nation, to bo imcle, and I would suggest t liat , you, tail: with Prof. 

 Pernald aboxit it before going any farther. If, havever, he is 

 unable to have tlie worte done or suggest a good place to have it 

 dome, I should be glad to ta'ce the iviatter up with yoti farther, 

 and it is possible if jou can got get the work done at Cambridge 

 that I might find somebody here who would be able to do the work 

 in a satisfactory manner. I suggest that the sample be tsJcen 

 by the analyst, himself, and the boring bo made from thij surface 

 to a depth of about 18 inches in order to be sure that the entire 

 area in the soil throizghi which the roots oS pene- 

 trate and from which they may be absorb ing^a'l^lrr^'"^^ material 

 can be tal-cen with an ordinary soil augur or bett'br with a sraapler 

 such as I tal-o peat samples with if one of tlieso is available for use. 



It occurs to n,Te tliat before interviaving Prof. Pernald 

 you call up iiy friend Prof. Alfred C. Lane of Tufts College who, is 

 greatly interested in all ;iiatters relating to salt i" . - " 1 -.vrLters 

 and tell him wMt you v/ant to have done and I feel )b 

 will find a student who could do this work for you , , ... .i-acy 

 and in a satisfactory riianner. Dr. Lane has a peat sampler and 

 could get the sample by the most approved method. If Lane is un- 

 able to talce the natter up sat i sf actor i].y, ny offer to do v/hat I 

 can remins open. 



I siiall be glad to hear tlie result of the ?/ork v/hatovor 

 course you talro relative to the ma,tter. 



Yours siiceroly, 



a/ 



