SOILS — FEETILIZERS. 527 



syndicate as compared with that of an American trust is described, and refer- 

 ences are given to previous consular reports on the German potash industry. 



The effect of phosphorus manuring on the amount of inorganic phos- 

 phorus in flat turnip roots, B. L. Haetwell and F. S. Hammett (Jour. Indus, 

 and Engin. Chem., 3 (1911), No. 11, pp. 831, 832). — In view of the suggestion 

 that the flat turnip may furnish a reliable means of judging of the available 

 phosphorus in soils, the authors undertook to devise accurate methods for the 

 determination of the inorganic phosphorus of turnips. The method finally 

 adopted was as follows : 



" Grate portions of fresh turnips in the presence of sufficient acetic acid to 

 equal about 2 per cent of the moisture, finally squeeze the juice from the pulp, 

 filter, add to an aliquot barium chlorid solution with constant stirring, then 

 carefully neutralize with ammonium hydroxid, allow to stand about a day, 

 filter, wash, dissolve as much as possible of the contents of the filter in hot 

 water and dilute nitric acid, wash, and determine the phosphorus in the filtrate 

 by molybdenum and magnesium mixtures in the usual way. In calculating the 

 percentage of inorganic phosphorus in the turnips it was assumed that the per- 

 centage of phosphorus in the expressed juice was the same as that in the 

 moisture remaining with the pulp. A determination of moisture in the turnips, 

 therefore, made it possible for the results to be calculated on the basis of dry 

 turnips." 



The results of a number of analyses by this method showed " that although 

 the content of total phosphorus in turnips was nearly doubled by the addition 

 of a liberal amount of acid phosphate, the content of inorganic phosphorus was 

 increased about six-fold." 



The influence of calcium carbonate on the action of different phosphates, 

 D. Prianishnikov (Landw. Vers. Stat., 75 {1911), No. 5-6, pp. 357-376; abs. 

 in Chcm. Zcntbl., 1911, II, No. 22, p. 1706). — The effect of calcium carbonate in 

 amounts varying from 0.1 to 1 per cent on dicalcium and tricalcium phosphates, 

 bone meal, phosphorite alone and combined with ammonium sulphate and 

 sodium nitrate, Thomas slag, iron and aluminum phosphates, and monopotas- 

 sium phosphate in sand cultures with wheat, oats, barley, peas, and buckwheat 

 are reported. 



As a result of these experiments the author divides the phosphates of calcium 

 into two groups, one containing monocalcium and dicalcium phosphate and 

 Thomas slag, which are little affected by addition of calcium carbonate, the 

 other group including tricalcium phosphate, bone phosphate, and phosphorite, 

 the assimilation of which is depressed to a marked extent by the addition of 

 calcium carbonate. When, however, ammonium sulphate was substituted for 

 nitrate nitrogen as a source of nitrogen, the addition of lime was beneficial 

 in every case, at least under the conditions of these experiments. Calcium car- 

 bonate had no appreciable depressing effect upon the assimilability of iron 

 and aluminum phosphate. These phosphates showed a fairly good degree of 

 assimilability and were gradually decomposed by water. It therefore appears 

 that root secretions do not play the important role in the assimilation of these 

 phosphates that has heretofore been ascribed to them. 



The action of gypsum on nitrification, S. Dezani {Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital., 

 U {1911), No. 2, pp. 119-137; abs. in Chem. ZentU., 1911, II, No. 3, p. 157; 

 Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 100 {1911), No. 589, II, p. i0i9).— Experiments 

 with natural and artificial soils and culture solutions showed no material in- 

 crease of nitrification when gypsum was added in amounts varying from 0.5 to 

 2 per cent. 



Peat moss litter manure {Jour. Bd. Agr. [London], 18 {1911), No. 9, pp. 

 756-758). — It is stated that the use as a stable litter of peat moss obtained from 



