224 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



soils. The improvement of the steppe, or meadow soils, should be based on 

 their salt content and includes the selection of adapted plants, the rational use 

 of fertilizers, and irrigation. The production of fish is recommended for those 

 areas where irrigation is impossible. No experiments were made on the soda 

 soils, but the author is of the opinion that nothing but a thorough washing out 

 of the salts will benefit them, and he doubts whether even such treatment 

 will be of lasting benefit on account of the rapid capillary rise of the salts. 



Alkali work, P. B. Kennedy et al. {Rpt. Lincoln Co. [Nev.] Expt. Farm, 

 1909-10, pp. Ji9-51). — In order to obtain accurate data regarding the action of 

 alkali in soil irrigated for the first time, eighth-acre plats on the Lincoln County 

 Experiment Farm in southern Nevada were irrigated (1) by flushing, (2) by 

 the check system, and (3) by furrow irrigation, and analyses were made of 

 the water before and after irrigation. 



The alkali, which consisted mainly of sodium sulphate and chlorid, with 

 small amounts of carbonate, was largely concentrated in the first foot of soil. 

 The largest amount of alkali was removed by flushing the water as rapidly as 

 possible over the land. By check irrigation the alkali was carried down into 

 the soil but not removed. Only a small ])art of the alkali was removed by 

 furrow irrigation, but this method was found to be useful on uneven land. 



Experiments on the accumulation of green manure nitrogen in light 

 sandy soils, C. von Seelhokst (Mitt. Deut. Landiv. Oesell., 25 {1910), Nos. 

 20, pp. 291, 292; 21, pp. 309-311; 26 (1911), Nos. J,5, pp. 619-622; .',6, pp. 630-632; 

 Jf7, pp. 6-'i5-6.'p). — ^This is an accoimt of a continuation of exiieriments with 

 large vegetation tanks previously described (E. S. R., 22, p. 122). The prin- 

 cipal conclusions from this series of experiments to date are as follows : 



The loss of total nitrogen was much smaller from the cereal tanks than from 

 the potato tanks. This has resulted not from smaller utilization of nitrogen 

 by the cereals but from a smaller loss of nitrogen in the drainage of the cereal 

 tanks. The nitrogen loss in the drainage water was in all cases much greater 

 with fall green manuring than with spring green manuring. The nitrogen recov- 

 ered in the crop was in all cases greater with spring green manuring. The 

 total nitrogen in crop and di'ainage water showed small variations in the series 

 of potato experiments, but no variations in case of the cereal experiments. In 

 the potato experiments the total loss of nitrogen from the soil was smaller with 

 spring green manuring than with fall green manuring. In the latter case 

 the loss of nitrogen in the drainage water was so great that it was not over- 

 balanced by the greater recovery of nitrogen in the crop with spring green 

 manuring. The loss of nitrogen during 6 years was the same from the tank 

 cropped continuously without green manure and from that kept bare, but in 

 the first case four-sevenths of the nitrogen removed was in the crop. 



Organic compounds and fertilizer action, O. Schreinek and .1. J. Skinneb 

 {TJ. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Soils Bui. 77, pp. 31, pis. 2, flgs. 5).— This bulletin Re- 

 ports water culture and pot experiments to determine the effect of cumarin, 

 vanillin, and quinone on the growtJi of wheat seedlings when used alone and. 

 with various combinations of monocalcium phosphate, sodium nitrate, and 

 potassium sulphate. 



The toxic effects of the substances were shown by decrease in weight o£ 

 green matter produced, an abnormal and unhealthy appearance of the plants, 

 and a decreased absorption of plant nutrients. The three substances showed 

 a markedly different behavior in detail, although producing the .same general 

 effect. " The various fertilizer salts acted differently in overcoming the re- 

 spective harmful effects of these toxic compounds. The mainly phosphatic fer- 

 tilizers were the most efficient in overcoming the cumarin effects ; the mainly 



