524 EXPERIMENT .STATION EECOED. 



latPil by plants. Tlio assimilability of these constituents depends not only 

 upon tlio individual c-liaracteristics of the plant grown but also upon conditions 

 favoring the activity of the uiicro-orsanisnis of the manure. These conditions 

 are best realized in fallow and to the least extent in spring wheat soil. 



The iiifluni(( of (/rcrn nKUiurcs. — An exauiiuiition of soils on which various 

 leguminous and nuulegumiuous plants had grown showed much less nitrogen 

 in the soil after the growth of cereals than after fallow or the culture of legu- 

 minous plants. On the other hand, the soil on which leguminous plants had 

 been grown contained much less phosphoric acid than the grain soil. Among 

 the leguminous plants the best results as regards phosphoric acid were ob- 

 tained with esparcet and the poorest with clover, which left the soil with a 

 smaller amount of phosphoric acid and nitrogen. l'\illowing increased to a 

 considerable extent the ]iroportiou of assimilable phosphoric acid and potash 

 in the soil. 



Short supplies of stable manure {Mark Lane Express, 103 {1010), ^o. .'f08.'i, 

 p. 11). — Attention is called to the decreasing supply of stable manure resulting 

 from the increased use of motor traction in England. It is also pointed out 

 that the large applications of manure which have heretofore been used are not 

 necessary and '* are not economically sound, as equally good results can be 

 obtained by quite moderate dressings of dung, supplemented by the judicious 

 use of artiticial nianm-cs." 



Mixing superphosphate with farmyard manure {Mark Lane Express, 103 

 {1910), No. JiOS'i. p. 11). — Attention is called in this article to experiments by 

 Dumont (E. S. R., 21, p. 531) which showed that the efficiency of superphos- 

 phate is increased by mixing it with well rotted manure. 



Fertilizer experiments with phosphates, H. Klebahn {Jahresber. Ver. 

 Angew. Bot., 6 [liiOS), pp. 280-.iS7 ; ahs. in' Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Abt., So 

 [1909), No. 10-13, pp. 319, 320). — In comparative tests of Thomas slag, agri- 

 cultural phosphate, and superphospliate on sand and moor soils planted to 

 barley and oats it was found that the Thomas slag and agricultural phosphate 

 gaA'e the best results on moor soils, but that Thomas slag produced very little 

 effect and agricultural phosphate none on sandy soils. The favorable action 

 of the agricultural pliosphate on moor soils was also demonstrated in field 

 experiments, and is attributed to the acid properties of such soils. Free phos- 

 l)horic acid proved in.1urious on moor soils but produced the largest yield on 

 sandy soils. Superphosphate with and without lime was much more effective 

 on oats than on barley. In held experiments on grass lands Thomas slag gave 

 the best results, followed in order by superphosphate and agricultural phos- 

 phate. In field experiments with oats the Thomas slag and agricultural phos- 

 phate were about equally effective, and slightly superior to superphosphate. 

 See also a previous note (E. S. R., 21, p. 315). 



The world's production of phosphatic fertilizers, P. Lavollee {Bui. Soc. 

 Agr. France, 1910. .laii. 1, pp. .'/-'/--'/7). — Statistics are given of the production 

 and distribution of natural phosphates in different countries from 1S98 to 1908, 

 as well as of the details of the consumption of pliosphates and superphosphates 

 in France during the same period. 



The world's production, according to the figures given, increased from 2,405,50<J 

 tons in 1898 to 5,218,000 tons in 1908. During that period there was practically 

 no increase in production in Belgium, a decided decrease in France, a con- 

 siderable increase in Algeria, and a large increase in Tunis, the United States, 

 and the Pacific Islands. The countries showing the largest consumers of phos- 

 phate in 1908 were the United States 1,865,000 tons, France 1,106,000 tons, 

 Germany 770,500 tons, Italy 590,500 tons, Great Britain 529,500 tons. 



