126 SOIL SCIENCE [BoT. Absts., Vol. X, 



795. Keen, Bernard A. A note on the capillary rise of water in soils. Jour. Agric. Sci. 



0.75 



9: 396-398. 1919. — The following formula is derived: h = , in which h is the capillary 



r 



rise and r the radius of the soil grain. This is for an ideal soil in which the grains are all of 



one size, spherical, and packed in the closest possible manner. — D. Reddick. 



796. Keen, Bernard A. A quantitative relation between soil and the soil solution brought 

 out by freezing-point determinations. Jour. Agric. Sci. 9: 400-415. 1919. — An examination 

 was made of the experimental data of Bouyoucos and his associates on the freezing point de- 

 pression of soil solution at varying moisture contents. The data, which are mathematical 

 in character, do not lend themselves to abstracting; the reader is therefore referred to the 

 original. — J. J. Skinner. 



797. MicHEL-DuRAND, E. [Rev. of: Waynick, D. D., and L. T. Sharp. Variations in 

 nitrogen and carbon in field soils and their relation to the accuracy of field trials. Univ. 

 California Publ. Agric. Sci. 4 : 121-139. 1919 (see Bot. Absts. 3, Entry 870) .] Rev. Gen. Bot. 

 33:77. 1921. 



798. ScoFiELD, Carl S., and Frank B. Hbadley. Quality of irrigation water in relation 

 to land reclamation. Jour. Agric. Res. 21 : 265-278. 1021 . — The soils of certain irrigated areas 

 in western U. S. A. are not readily permeable to water and may be unproductive because of 

 slow absorption from periodic irrigation. This impermeabilitj' of soils is due to the effect 

 of sodium on the contained clay. This injurious action does not occur in the presence of ap- 

 preciable quantities of soluble forms of calcium and aluminum. The use of such substances 

 applied to the land or in the irrigation water serves as a corrective. — D. Reddick. 



799. VoELCKBR, J. A. The Woburn experimental station of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England. Field Experiments, 1921. Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc. England 81: 253-267. 1920.— 

 The annual reports are made on the continuous growing of wheat and barley under different 

 fertilizer treatments. The highest yield of wheat was secured on the plot receiving super- 

 phosphate, sodium nitrate, sulphate of ammonia, and lime. Sulphate of ammonia alone has 

 markedly reduced crop yield, but when used with lime good yields are secured. — Lump lime 

 produced less yield than did ground limestone. — Reports are made on the relative value of 

 chalk and lime and the effect of different forms of lime on grass. — /. J. Skinner. 



800. VoELCKER, J. A. The Woburn experimental station of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England. Pot culture experiments. Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc. England 81: 267-277. 1920. — 

 Pot experiments with corn to determine the effect of stannous and stannic oxides, chlorides, and 

 sulphates were made. In general it is shown that the effect of stannic salts is decidedly more 

 marked than that of stannous in either stimulating the crop or producing a toxic effect, and that 

 the chlorides have amore marked effect than the oxides. Tin as ametal appears to have no direct 

 effect upon vegetation. Where differences are shown it is due to the acid radical and not to 

 the metal. Tin oxide showed no effect in amounts up to 0.10 per cent Sn. Chlorides of tin 

 have a favorable effect up to 0.1 per cent Sn as stannous chloride, but with stannic chloride 

 only up to 0.05 per cent Sn; 0.1 per cent Sn as stannic chloride was distinctly harmful. Stan- 

 nous sulphate has no effect when used up to 0.1 per cent Sn, but stannic sulphate at this con- 

 centration is distinctly beneficial. — Chromate and bichromate of potash proved very harmful 

 to barley, 0.005 per cent effectually preventing growth. — Experiments with wheat in pots with 

 iron sulphate showed that there was a marked retardation where 0.2 per cent iron was used. 

 The toxic effect of iron was overcome by lime. — Calcium silicate in quantities up to 4 tons per 

 acre produced a beneficial effect upon wheat on soil from the stockyard field. Magnesium 

 silicate and aluminum silicate had no influence. — Sulphur in amounts of 100 and 200 pounds 

 per acre produced only a slight increase with mustard and a slight decrease with clover and 

 lucerne. Experiments were conducted to determine the relative effects of lime and chalk. 

 Lime produced substantial increases with wheat and barley, while chalk produced practically 

 no increased growth. — J. J. Skinner. 



