SOILS FERTILIZERS. 423 



from the surface downward. Accordingly erosion, either by wind or water, 

 impoverishes the surface soil, 



" Chemical analyses do not show any difference between virgin prairies and 

 long-cultivated fields in the proportion of ixttash, phosphoric acid, and lime; 

 they do show, however, a great loss of nitrogen, humus, and unhumified organic 

 matter in the case of all fields long under cultivation. 



" The greatest losses of organic matter, nitrogen, and humus have been caused 

 either by the washing or by the blowing away of the surface soil." 



The question of preventing erosion by water and wind and maintaining the 

 supply of humus and nitrogen in these soils is discussed. 



Soils of Pender County, North. Carolina: A preliminary report, H. H. Ben- 

 nett (U. 8. Dcpt. Agr., Bur. Soils Circ. 20, pp. 16). — This is an accoimt of pre- 

 liminary examinations made in June, 1909, of soils at a number of points in 

 this county to determine the character and agricultural possibilities of the im- 

 portant types. The region studied is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and borders 

 upon the Atlantic Ocean, with a water frontage of 12 miles and extending 

 inland a distance of 35 miles. The area presents the appearance of a plain 

 interrupted by slight surface unevenness due to erosion. Notes are given upon 

 the climate and agriculture of the county and the soil conditions are described. 

 There are considerable areas which are in need of drainage. 



The soils have been derived from materials washed down from the Piedmont 

 region and deposited in the sea that formerly covered this coastal plain area. 

 The Norfolk fine sandy loam is the most extensive, and on account of its good 

 natural drainage the most used soil type of the area. Besides this type there 

 are several areas of Norfolk fine sand, Portsmouth fine sandy loam, and smaller 

 areas of several other types. Suggestions are made as to the best use to be 

 made of the different typos in crop production. 



Contribution to the study of Bolognese soils, F. Costanzini (Ann. Vfflc. 

 Prov. Agr. Bologna, 15 {1908), pp. 173-179). — Determinations of the percentage 

 of lime in various samples of soils submitted are reported. Analyses of 3 soils 

 are also given. Fertilizers for permanent meadow, for cereals, and for forage 

 crops are recommeaded. 



The dynamic viewpoint of soils, F. K. Cameron (Jour. Indus, and Engin. 

 Chem., 1 (1909), Xo. 12, pp. S06-810). — This paper, which deals with various 

 phases of the more recent theories of soil fertility, is summarized as follows: 



"(1) Hitherto, the soil has generally been regarded from a static viewpoint. 

 It now appears more rational to view it dynamically. 



"(2) From the static viewpoint, fertilizers are valuable chiefly as sources of 

 plant food. From the dynamic viewpoint this function is generally a minor 

 one, and fertilizers have certainly other important functions of a physical, 

 chemical, and biological character. 



"(3) Some advocates of the static viewpoint would make a distinction be- 

 tween fertilizers and stimulants. But this requires to be shown, and as now 

 used these terms are merely a begging of the question at issue. 



"(4) Everyone believes in crop rotations. Advocates of the static view- 

 point hold that it always hastens the depletion of mineral plant nutrients in 

 the soil. This is at least doubtful. 



"(5) The advocates of the static viewpoint hold that under cropping, mineral 

 plant nutrients necessarily disappear and soil ' exhaustion ' is due to this fact. 

 But the evidence now available does not warrant these premises, and the cause 

 or causes of exhaustion must be sought elsewhere, among others, in the char- 

 acter of the organic substances in the soil, and the biological processes there 

 taking place. 



