SOILS FERTILIZERS. 511 



article that it is impossible under i)resent conditions to agree upon any stand- 

 ard, " conformation with which shall prove that water Is incapable of producing 

 disease in a greater or less degree." He urges the fixing of a standard " which 

 shall prove that the water is free fi-om given definite organisms believed to be 

 harmful." 



Septic tanks for sewage on country places, E. McCullough (Concrete 

 [Detroit. Mich.], 11 (WIJ), \o. 6, pp. 37, 38, figs. 2).— In view of the increasing 

 use of septic tanl^s for rural homes, this article describes tanks of simple con- 

 struction for this purpose. i»articularl,v the use of concrete in such construction. 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



Alkali soils, C. Wirxis and .1. V. Bopp (HoittJi Dakota f^ta. Bui. 126, pp. 

 75-93, map 1). — This bulletin reports the results of determinations of soluble 

 salts, carbonates, and organic matter of different soil types of South Dakota. 



It is stated that "alkali is found to a gi-eater or less extent over the entire 

 State, however there are certain areas where the extent of the injury is greater 

 than in others. Some of the soils did not contain a large amount of soluble 

 salts. The injury to the growing crops in such case is due largely to excessive 

 moisture or poor drainage." 



Counteracting evaporation by cultivation and mulching to prevent the ac- 

 cumulation of the salts at the surface, and treatment with gypsum, where large 

 amounts of carbonates occur, were found to give temporary relief. " However, 

 since many of these soils are found in depressions where there is an excess of 

 water in certain periods of the year, and since the salts are very soluble it 

 necessarily follows that they may easily be carried away in solution. Tile 

 drainage will therefore afford permanent relief. Flooding an irrigated section 

 will wash the salts deeper into the subsoil where it loses its harmful effects. 

 Analyses of drainage waters in various sections have shown that they carried 

 large quantities of salts in solution. Of course surface drainage will also 

 greatly aid, yet it is not as immediate as tiling." 



Alkali lands, their utilization and improvement, X. M. Tulaikov ( Solontftif, 

 Ikh IspoVzovan'ic i TJJuch.shcme. St. Petersburg: Govt., 1910. pp. 18S, figs. 

 10). — The preface states that this is a report by the author to the department 

 of agriculture of Eussia which had sent him to the United States to study 

 the utilization of alkali soils. He spent 18 months in this country, and 

 describes at length all the instances of improving alkali lands which he 

 saw. He also reviews the more important part of the American literature on 

 alkali lanus, but does not consider the literature of other countries. His obser- 

 A-ations are summarized inider the following headings: Origin and distribu- 

 tion of alkalis, effect on vegetation, tolerance of plants to alkali, utilization and 

 methods of improving alkali soils, and use of salt water for irrigation. 



Soils: Their composition, requirements, and possibilities, C. A. Mooers 

 (Bien. Rpt. Term. Dept. Agr., 1909-10, pp. 27.^-283).— This article deals par- 

 ticularly with the use of lime on different types of Tennessee soil. 



The soils of Washing'ton, R. W. Thatcher {Washington Sta. Popular Bui. 

 3-'h pp. If). — This discusses in a popular way what chemical analysis of soils 

 shows, and gives tables showing the average composition of typical Washing- 

 ton soils as well as the amounts of plant food removed from the soil by dif- 

 ferent crops. 



The soils of the coast and alluvial districts of Belgium, J. Mass art {Rec, 

 Inst. Bat. Leo Errcra BruxeUes, 7 (1908), pp. 303-3Ji-',; 8up., 1910, mnps 5-9). — 

 The soil conditions of these districts of Belgium are discussed in their relation 



