26 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



method. The citric acid still gives good diagnostic indi- 

 cations in such cases because the presence of calcium car- 

 bonate which lowers the values of available phosphate and 

 potash in the analysis, also interferes with the action of 

 the soil acids in bringing insoluble phosphate and potash 

 into a soluble form suitable to serve as plant food. In 

 Bihar the large increases of crops obtained by phosphate 

 manuring wherever actual large scale trials have been made, 

 agree with the view that there is a serious deficiency of 

 available phosphate in these soils which greatly limits pro- 

 duction. 



Arrangements have been made for practical trials this 

 year at several indigo factories of the efficacy of manuring 

 with superphosphate. 



Some very interesting samples of typical hangar and 

 bhat soiis were sent for investigation by Mr. C. A. Sil- 

 berracl, B.A., I.C.S., Collector of Gorakhpur. The in- 

 feriority of the hangar soils was found to be due to the 

 presence of a large amount of sand in it and the absence 

 of a proper amount of lime in the form of carbonate. No 

 harmful nsar salts were present. Bhat soils contain more 

 silt and less sand than hangars and are therefore more re- 

 tentive of moisture. 



The Chemical Adviser to the Forest Research Institute 

 visited Pusa in September to study the methods of soil gas 

 analysis in connection with the work undertaken by the 

 Forest Botanist. Apparatus was lent to him in this con- 

 nection. 



V. Feeding Stuffs. 



A Bulletin (No. 70) has been prepared summarizing the 

 analyses of the numerous feeding stuffs received in the 

 laboratory of the Imperial Agricultural Chemist. It is 

 hoped that this bulletin will be useful to those maintaining 

 cattle and horses as it gives data for the feeding values of 

 most of the Indian feeding stuffs. 



