The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-25
ffAKlHG GAS FROM
COTTONWOOD TREES
Experiments at Kansas State
University Prove This
Can Be Done.
From the Kansas City Times.

Francis w. Bushong. one of the assist
ant professors of chemistry at the Univer-,
sity Of Kansas, discovered last week that
the cottonwood tree has natural gas in
large quantities within its trunk. He also
found by experiment that The gas burns
with a hotter flame than the ordinary nat
ural gas owing to the presence of free hy-
drogen and that in some cases the flow
was strong enough TO be ignited directly
from the tree.
The scientific authorities in Lawrence
say that they have never heard of an in
stance where natura! gas was ever noticed
in cottonwood trees, although they agree
that there is nothing improbable in the
matter. Professor Bushons thinks that
the heart of all cottonwood trees decay
ai!d that If there is no outlet to the open
cir the ordinary marsh gas which pos,
scsses the same properties as natural gas
Is sure to ne formed.
Il have noticed for several years." said
Professor Bushong, that he.e was a pc
clstar rushing noise Whenever a cotton
WOOD tree was cut down and that a pecu-
liar door indicated that a gas of some kind
was issuing from the frank OF the tree. Last
week the university author. les cut down
Il large cottonwood tree, which stood too
near a new road which is being built
across the campus l was standing near
W9eh the Work1nen Were cutting down the
gree and / noticed the peculiar odor again.
j determined to investigate the matter. We
selected a tree aboUt the size of a mans
waist and with an inch bit bored into tho
center. The odor was present and we
screwed an inch sas pipe into the opening
ana conducted the gas into a jar. In
I've minutes our jar was full and we took
III 10 the laboratory. was greatly sur
lrised 10 find that it burned when con-
nected with n eas Jet. The analysis shows
.aat a large percentage of free hydrogen
~. i'm 4 Ta t-nc ~t,j % .t.n i--~ d. .r-
ordinary natural gas is sure to result"
So much curiosity was excited amons
the university men who are in Lawrence
This summer, tina. another set of expert.
ments We're undertaken Monday afternoon.
The tree which had been tapped" three
DAYS before was again opened. \ glass
Jar fun of water was inverted in another
larger jar also fun of water. A rubber
tube leading from the gas pipe was placed
within the inside jar. Archie We:th, the
assistant Kansas state water chemist. was
present and turned the stop valve which
tad been closed on the previous time to
NTeNeni the escape OF any more gas. Much
doubt was expressed as TO tl.e probability
OF any more sass collecting in the tree.
Douos the Chemists.
You chemistry people are leading us
over here To fool us said one man.
Another was sure that If the gas had
been in the tree at all, 1t had been en-
tracted the first time. AS the stopcock
WAS turned bubbles began TO issue from
the mouth of the rubber tube, showing
;hat the gas YVES still present and when it
had been turned completely the glass Jar
began TO rise as the gas pressure forced
out the water. In five minutes the jar
was full and the most dubious OF the spec
tators was satisfied.
10 make sure that this particular tree
was not different from other
another one was tested. The tree chosen
was practically the same size as the other
ahd appeared to be sound. 1t had not a
dead limb. When the hole was bored. the
odor OF escaping gas was perceptible and
ttie gas pipe was at once inserted. This
time the cas- was ignited as it flowed from
the gas pipe and for a minute the pres
sure was strong enough to keep a bright
hiue hifize at the end of the gas burner
which had been inserted on the rubber
tGhe. The spectators We're satisfied. One
suggested that the farmers in the country
SHOULD plant cottonwood trees and estab-
.lsh a natural gas plant in their own cell
lafs Professor Bushong was not SO sam
guine about such a plan.
y hardly think our discovery will drive
tie natural gas establishments out of
business. said he. but it is u matter OF
much scientific interest. II a man had a
big enough retort. he might collect enough
gas for laboratory purposes. The flame
would undoubtedly be hotter than the
natural gas .!a1ne owing 20 the HYDRO
gen
The marsh gas. which Professor Bush
oag thinks IS in all cottonwood trees, is
always formed In ponds where leaves and
branches nave fallen in the water and de-
eaNed. The bubbles rising to the surface
are gas bubbles and the gas NAV be col
iected IN a jar inverted over the spot.