SOILS FERTILIZERS. 429 



0.17 per cent of phosphoric acid, and 3.05 and 3.13 per cent of nitrogen. The 

 peat and manure were used in mixture with sand or a very poor sandy soil. 

 The experimental crop was winter rye. 



The results, which are given in great detail, show in general that the peat 

 exerted a decided effect as a fertilizer the first year, the material from lowland 

 moors being much the more effective. In every case, however, the effect of 

 peat was decidedly inferior to that of manure and was much slower in action. 

 The results for the first year indicate that 2.G parts of nitrogen in stable 

 manure was as eflicient as 100 parts of nitrogen in i)eat. The addition of lime 

 increased the efiiciency of the peat to an extent which made its use profitable. 

 Somewhat better results were obtained with the peat in field experiments 

 than in pot exr)eriments. 



On the present status of the Swedish peat industry, E. Wallgren (A'. 

 Landthr. Akad. Jlandl. och Tidskr., J/H (J909), No. J,, pp. ^i 6-3^7). —The paper 

 discusses the development of the peat industi-y and the different ways in which 

 the industry is now of importance to the country and is likely to become of 

 still more importance in the future. 



Green manuring' on the better soils, Schneidewind (Mitt. Dent. Landw. 

 GeselL, 27/ (PJO!)). Ao. JG, pp. 258-260; ahs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Aht. 

 24 {1909), No. 16-11, p. -'i67). — Good results from green manuring on the fer- 

 tile soils of the Lauchstiidt farm near Halle with horse beans, peas, vetches, 

 and especially yellow clover {Mrdicago InpuUna) are reported. The green 

 manure crops were grown with cereals as the nurse crop. Serradella and lu- 

 pines gave good results on the calcareous Lauchstadt soils. The crops which 

 gave the best results following the green manuring were beets, potatoes, and 

 oats, beets being especially benefited. The best time for plowing under the 

 green manure appeared to be late autumn just before the appearance of frosts. 



Asking questions of the soil, II. IIaughton {Rural New Yorker, 69 {1910). 

 No. 4028. pp. 21, 22, figs. 2). — An account is here given of the use of the wire- 

 basket method proposed by the Bureau of Soils of this Department in testing 

 the fertilizer recpiirements of alfalfa on a fertile soil in Chester County. Pa. 

 The results are thought to indicate especially the neetl of inoculation for alfalfa 

 on this soil. 



The soil invoice, J. H. Pettit {IN. Agr., l.'f {1910), No. .',, pp. 9-12, fig. 1). — 

 This is a brief discussion based upon data relating to the fertilizing constituents 

 contained in typical Illinois soils and the amounts removed in various crops. 



Experiments on the influence of manure on black soil, A. BuichTkhina 

 {Ghodlehiuiii Otihct Plotij. Selsk. Khoz. Opuitii. Stantzil, 14 (1908). pp. 144- 

 168, 191-194). — These experiments were undertaken in view of the common 

 belief encouraged by various experiment stations in southern Russia that it 

 is not possible to increase yields by the application of manure on chernozem 

 soils in regions where the rainfall does not exceed 400 to 4.50 mm. annually. 

 The experiments here summarized covered 10 years with the following rota- 

 tion : (1) Fallow manured with 35,000 kg. per hectare (31,150 lbs. per acre) 

 ■ of barnyard manure, (2) winter wheat, (3) maize, and (4) spring wheat. The 

 . manure was applied in the spring and worked in to a depth of 17 cm. (6.7 In.). 

 The soil on which these experiments were made contained 5.8 per cent of 

 humus, 0.28 per cent of nitrogen, and 0.13 per cent of phosphoric acid. The 

 average annual rainfall for the period was 413.1 mm. The manuring decidedly 

 and profitably increasetl the yields of the grains in the rotation. 



Production and commerce in manure in Paris, R. Olry (Jour. Agr. Prat., 

 n. ser., 18 (1909), No. 49, pp. 7.53-7.T.5).— Statistics are given of the number of 

 horses and the production of manure by horses and other animals in and 



