SOILS FERTILIZERS. 123 



c:atin{» nbmit rtOO.OOO horsopowor) which have been ac(iulrod in Norway for the 

 purpose of the niiinufacture of nitric acid from the air. 



On the manurial value of calcium cyanamid, K. Aso (Bui. Col. Agr., Tokyo 

 I nil). r)iir.. 7 iUHKi). Xn. I. pp. 'il-.'i,^). — Experiments in open-bottom cylinders 

 sunk in tiie irround and in pots to compare calcium cyanamid with ammonium 

 sulphate and sodium nitrate on upland and paddy rice and hemp grown on sandy 

 and loamy soils are reported. 



All the results show distinctly that calcium <-yanamid is an effective nitrog- 

 enous fertilizer, the only unsatisfactory result being that with paddy soil. 

 That soil was rich in humus and closely related to moor soils which, according 

 to Tacke and Feilitzen, do not yield such satisfactory results with calcium 

 cyanamid as other soils do. In general the calcium cyanamid was not inferior 

 to ammonium suli)hate and Chile saltpeter. 



The efficacy of calcium cyanamid under different conditions, R. Inamura 

 (Bill. Col. .I///'., Toliio hup. I'liir.. 7 iUlod). Xo. 1. pp. 'j3--'>')). — Pot experi- 

 ments with Brassica chincnsis are briefly reported to show that calcium cyana- 

 mid was more effective in combination with superphosphate than with neutral 

 phosphate, the acid phosi)hate neutralizing the annnoniuni carbonate produced 

 in the soil from the calcium cyanamid and thus bringing about the conditions 

 most favorable to the growth of the Brassica. The combination referred to 

 was much more effective than ammonium sulphate with superphosphate without 

 addition of lime. 



Artificial nitrates and the preservation of soil industry {.\gr. Students' 

 Gaz.. 11. scr., 12 (IVOG). No. 6, pp. 1'.)'>-1'JS). — This article is an argument in 

 favor of a system of c-ropping which keeps the soil well covered and stocked 

 with organic matter and against " excessive cultivation of grain with the aid 

 of artificial nitrogenous manures," the view being that the former increases the 

 natural ca]>acity of soils to fix nitrogen and the latter tends to destroy this 

 power. 



The oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen-oxid compounds, O. Schmidt and 

 R. Booker {Ber. Dent. Chem. Gesell, 39 {1906), No. 6, pp. 1366-1370; ahs. in 

 Amer. Jour. 8ci., Jf. ser., 22 {1906), No. 127, pp. 78, 79). — The two principal 

 methods of oxidizing ammonia, viz, combustion in electric flames, and oxida- 

 tion by means of contact substances (platinum and platinized asbestos), are 

 referred to, and a series of tests of the efficiency of combustion in tubes filled 

 with platinized asbestos are reported. The total oxidation secured varied from 

 70.3 to 80.45 per cent, with an average of 75 to 70 per cent, apparently depend- 

 ing mainly upon the temperature. Red heat appeared to be the most favorable 

 temi)erature for oxidation. The process of producing nitrates is not considered 

 profitable. 



A rational process for obtaining ammonia and sal-ammoniac by the utili- 

 zation of residuary and waste products {Sci. Amer. Sup., 61 {1906), No. 1580, 

 pp. 2531 'i, 2531-J). — Various proce.sses for obtaining these substances from guano, 

 gas liquor, bones, wool, leather, horn, feather, and similar wastes are briefly 

 described. The formulas for preparing artificial fertilizers from lye waste are 

 also given. The information given in the article is taken fi-om Roller's hand- 

 book on the utilization of waste products (E. S. R., 14, ]». 717). 



On the application of Chile saltpeter as top-dressing for some Japanese 

 crops, K. Aso {Bui. Col. Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7 {1906), No. 1. pp. ?J, 76). — 

 In plat experiments with upland rice and Colocasia there was an increase from 

 top-dressing with sodium nitrate: witli sesame there was no increase. 



The manurial value of different potassium compounds for barley and rice, 

 K. Aso {liul. Col. Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7 {1906), No, 1, pp. 67-72). — From 



