AGRICULTTJEAL. BOTANY. 819 



liasten furtlieF development in these fields. . . . The portion of the phosphate 

 fields now being worked lies in the northwestern part of Independence County, 

 along Lafferty Creek, north and east of the White River. The deposits, how- 

 ever, extend over a considerable area in north-central Arkansas, and the phos- 

 phate horizon has been recognized in Stone, Izard, Searcy, Marion, Baxter, 

 and Newton counties. . . . There is every probability that the mining opera- 

 tions in the Arkansas phosphate fields will be extended." 



Phosphate mining in relation to the fertilizer industry, C. G. Memminger 

 {Manfrs. Rec, 61 {1912), No. 7, pt. 2, pp. 55-57; Amer. Fert., 36 (1912), No. 7, 

 pp. Ji6-o0). — This article discusses briefly the sources of phosphate in the 

 United States, the companies engaged in mining phosphate, shipments of phos- 

 phate from 1900 to 1910, and a comparison of fertilizer consumption in the 

 South in 1901 and 1910. The figures show a rapid growth of the phosphate 

 and fertilizer industries. 



On the fertilizing action of sulphur, A. Demolon {Compt. Rend. Acad. 8ci. 

 [Paris], 15It (1912), No. 8, pp. 52-^-526; ahs. in Rev. Sci. [Paris], 50 (1912), I, 

 No. 9, p. 285). — In a study of the cause of the fertilizing effect of crude am- 

 monia, which contains on an average 40 per cent of free sulphur, the author 

 tested the effect of adding flowers of sulphur (10 gm. per squai-e meter of soil) 

 to ruta-bagas, beets, and parsnips in pot experiments, and found a marked in- 

 crease in yield in every case. He also studied the rate of transformation of 

 the sulphur into sulphate in the soil. He found that the sulphur was 

 slowly converted into sulphate in certain soils, and he is of the opinion that 

 this has an important bearing upon the fertilizing effect of the sulphur. Field 

 experiments to test the matter more fully are in progress. 



Conversion of marc into fertilizer, L. Roos (Prog. Agr. et Vit. (Ed. VEst- 

 Centre), 32 (1911), No. 38, pp. 351, 352).— The composting of marc with lime, 

 phosphates, and potassium sulphate is briefly described. 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers and ground bone, C. S. 

 Cathcart et al. (Neiv Jersey Stas. Bui. 2Jtl, pp. 3-.il). — This bulletin, with 

 Bulletin 240, already noted (E, S. R., 26, p. 225), giA^es the complete results of 

 fertilizer inspection in New Jersey during 1911. This involved the collection of 

 over 1,000 samples and analyses and valuations of 514 brands of complete 

 fertilizers and 23 miscellaneous fertilizers representing 105 manufacturers. 



Particular attention is called to the new method of determining and report- 

 ing the character of organic nitrogen in fertilizers as agreed upon by the ex- 

 periment stations of the New England States, New York, and New Jersey. This 

 involves the reporting of water-soluble organic nitrogen, active insoluble organic 

 nitrogen, and inactive insoluble organic nitrogen. 



The fertilizers examined during the year furnished on the average the amount 

 of plant food which they were guarantied to contain, although in many cases 

 deficiencies in one constituent wei'e made up by excess in others. " There was 

 apparently more nitrogen used in the form of nitrate of soda and ammonia 

 salts and a smaller quantity of organic nitrogen, than in former years." 



Fertilizer analyses, H. B. McDonnell et al. (Md. Agr. Col. Quart., 1912, 

 No. 55, pp. S2). — This bulletin gives tables showing analyses and valuations of 

 fertilizers inspected from August, 1911, to January. 1912, inclusive. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



The comparative viability of seeds, fungi, and bacteria when subjected 

 to various chemical agents, R. de Zeeuw (Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Aht., 31 

 (1911), No. 1-If, pp. k-23, fig. 1). — For certain physiological experiments seeds 

 free from bacteria and fungi are essential. This work was undertaken to show 



