No. 3, October, 1921] SOIL SCIENCE 269 



SOIL SCIENCE 



J. J. Skinner, Editor 

 F. M. ScHERTZ, Assistant Editor 



(See also in this issue Entries 1101, 1109, 1124, 1147, 1153, 1257, 1398, 1404, 1416, 1417, 



1619, 1621, l(A2) 



ACIDITY AND LIMING 



1656. Connor, S. I. Liming in its relation to injurious inorganic compounds in the soil. 

 Jour. Amer. See. Agron. 13: 113-124. 1921. — In 3 ways lime may act upon injurious inorganic 

 compounds in the soil: (1) It neutralizes soil acidity; (2) it precipitates most injurious soluble 

 salts which are found in acid soils ; (3) it acts in an antagonistic manner toward excessive solu- 

 ble salts which may not be precipitated. Aluminum, iron, manganese, boron, and zinc are 

 harmful in a soluble form but are rendered less soluble and less injurious bj' lime. Aluminum 

 toxicity is prevented by an abundance of phosphates. Active forms of silicates to a certain 

 extent aid in precipitating aluminum salts. — F. M. Schertz. 



1657. Fisher, E. A. Studies on soil reaction I. A resume. Jour. Agric. Sci. 11: 19-44. 

 Fig. 1-6. 1921. — The author discusses the importance of the soil reaction as a factor in soil 

 fertility and reviews the theories of soil acidity. Methods of determining soil acidity are 

 discussed and the problem of soil acidity is correlated with current physico-chemical concep- 

 tions of acidity in general. The ordinary titrimetric methods and the method of Hutchinson- 

 MacLennan of measuring soil reaction and determining lime requirements are discussed. — 

 V. H. Young. 



1658. Fisher, E. A. Studies on soil reaction II. The colorimetric determination of the 

 hydrogen ion concentration in soils and aqueous soil extracts. (Preliminary communication.) 

 Jour. Agric. Sci. 11: 45-65. Fig. 1-6. 1921. — A discussion of the electrometric and colori- 

 metric methods of H-ion determination is presented. A method for compensating for the tur- 

 bidity of soil extracts is described. Soil samples were dried and extracts made from the dried 

 soil. Centrifuged extracts, although somewhat turbid, were found to yield more constant re- 

 sults than clearer filtered extracts. Such solutions do not represent the actual H-ion concen- 

 tration of the soil solution but rather of a solution obtained by shaking 1 part of soil with 2 

 parts of water for 1 hour. An attempt is made to correlate H-ion results with the lime re- 

 quirements of the soil. — V. H. Young. 



1659. Lyon, T. L. The effect of liming on the composition of the drainage water of soils. 

 Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 13: 125-130. 1921. — The author reports on the influence of lime on 

 the sulphur, calcium, potash, nitrogen, and phosphorus content of drainage waters. — F. M. 

 Schertz. 



IGCO. Robinson, R. H. Acid soil studies I. A study of the basic exchange between soil 

 separates and salt solutions. Soil Sci. 11: 353-362. 1921. — Soil separates of 4 acid Oregon soils 

 were treated with 0.1 N solutions of potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium chloride, 

 potassium acetate, and calcium acetate. By the VEiTcnand Jones method the lime require- 

 ment of these soils varied from 1500-20,800 pounds of calcium carbonate per 2,000,000 pounds 

 of soil. The acidity of the different soil separates liberated by the action of a given salt solu- 

 tion was approximately the same. The so-called acidity liberated by potassium nitrate, 

 potassium chloride, and sodium chloride was due mainly to iron and aluminum rendered 

 soluble. The acidity produced by the acetates was due to acetic acid. The H-ion concentra- 

 tion of the different separates of the soil was constant. — W. J. Rabbins. 



1661. Robinson, R. H., and D. E. Bullis. Acid soil studies: II. Changes in calcium 

 compounds added to acid soils. Soil Sci. 11: 263-267. 1921.— In an effort to determine why 



BOTANICAL ABSTRACTS, VOL. IX, NO. 3 



