No. 3, January, 1922] SOIL SCIENCE 209 



1375. LiPMAN, J. G., AND A. W. Blair. Nitrogen losses under intensive cropping. Soil 

 Sci. 12: 1-19. PI. IS, 1 fig. 1921.— A study has been made of nitrogen losses from a loam soil 

 and cylinders with natural drainage which for 20 years have been under a 5-year rotation of 

 corn, oats (2 years), wheat, and timothy. Different forms of nitrogen were used alone and 

 with farm manure. A complete record of the amount of nitrogen applied in the fertilizers 

 and that removed by the crops has been kept. Also, nitrogen determinations were made on 

 the original soil in 1907, 1912, and 1918. During the first 10 years the loss of nitrogen amounted 

 to 103 pounds per acre annually; during the 3rd 5-year period it was the same; and during the 

 4th 5-year period there was a gain in some cylinders, due largely to the growth of legume crops. 

 Carbon determinations made in 1918 show gains in carbon content for nearly all those cylinders 

 that received both farm manure and commercial fertilizers. — W. J. Robbins. 



1376. McTaggart, Alexander. Theinfiuenceof certain fertilizer salts on the growth and 

 nitrogen-content of some legumes. Soil Sci. 11: 435-455. PI. 1. 1921.— Alfalfa, Canada 

 field peas, or soybeans were grown in the greenhouse in wooden boxes holding 128 pounds of 

 soil, mostly sand low in plant nutrients. Nitrogen as dried blood, sodium acid phosphate, 

 potassium chloride, calcium sulphate, or mixtures of the above, both limed and unlimed, 

 were applied to the soil. At the end of growth the plants were dried and the total nitrogen 

 determined. The nitrate content of the soil was also determined 3 weeks after harvest. Phos- 

 phorus, alone, increased the dry matter and total nitrogen decidedly and to a less extent the 

 per cent of nitrogen. Nitrogen as a single element did not benefit the plants with respect to 

 yield, nitrogen, or per cent of nitrogen. Combined nitrogen in the amount used did not 

 hamper nitrogen assimilation. Potassium, used alone, increased the total nitrogen and dry 

 matter of Canada field peas and alfalfa but not of soybeans; it increased the per cent of nitro- 

 gen in all 3 crops. Sulphur, alone, increased the growth and nitrogen of alfalfa but had no 

 effect on the peas or soybeans. Where phosphorus was applied the greatest nitrate accumula- 

 tion resulted after all crops. Nitrogen, alone, increased the nitrate accumulation after all 

 3 crops but with other elements it had no effect; potassium slightly inhibited it. Sulphur 

 increased nitrification in soil which had grown alfalfa; this was not true in the case of peas 

 and soybeans. In general there appears to be a correlation between dry matter produced and 

 soil nitrification; this probably is due to the greater root system, which subsequently decays. — 

 TT^. /. Robbins. 



1377. Miller, E. J., and C. S. Robinson. Studies on the acid amide fraction of the nitro- 

 gen of peat. Soil Sci. 11 : 457-467. 1921 .^Attempts to separate glutaminic acid directly from 

 the hydrolysate of peat failed. The application of Foreman's method (Biochem. Jour. 8: 

 463) resulted in the separation of both glutaminic and aspartic acids from this material and 

 indicated the presence of pyrolidon carboxylic acid. — W. J. Robbins. 



1378. Schmidt, E. W. Torf als Energiequelle fiir stickstoffassimilierende Bakterien. 

 [Peat as a source of energy for nitrogen-assimilating bacteria.] Centralbl. Bakt. II Abt. 52: 

 281-289. 1920. — The author calls attention to the possibilities of utilizing peat deposits for 

 increasing the nitrogen supply of soil. His investigations have shown that the cell-membrane 

 substances of young sphagnum peat are attacked by cellulose bacteria and that the resulting 

 cleavage products may serve as nutrients for azotobacters. It was also shown that these 

 cell-membrane substances in their raw state are comparatively resistant to the attacks of the 

 cellulose bacteria. This resistance may be largely overcome by grinding, steaming, or boiling. 

 When hydrolyzed with dilute hydrochloric acid and subsequently neutralized, the resulting 

 product forms a very desirable medium for the growth of azotobacters. To what extent peat 

 can be used as a fertilizer, further experimentation must determine. — Anthony Berg. 



1379. Sen-Gupta, Nagbndra Nath. Dephenolization in soil. Jour. Agric. Sci. 11: 

 136-158. 6 fig. 1921. — Previous workers have shown that organisms isolated from the soil 

 are capable of decomposing phenol, p-cresol. and other aromatic compounds in vitro. The 

 author has studied the disappearance of phenol and the 3 cresols, especially ??2-cresol, from 



