SOILS FKRTIl.IZERS. 431 



iiiK organisms, il licconics (h.-ii'i^cd willi iiitrntrs to (he cvtciil ol" O.Sl! piT cent, 

 This can I)o iiicrcnscd to 4.17 ]h-v ct-iit i).v iuhliiii, a lurtlKT (inantity <>l' aauiio- 

 ninni snlpliatc to the solution and aixain snlucctinj,' it to'tlie nitrifying action, 

 tlu' operation Ix'in.i; repeated "» times. Tlie most snitaltle temperature for the 

 reaction is 30°, and the fuel necessary for iiiaintainiui,' tliis tem])erature is 

 afforded hy tiie air-dried peat. Further, tlie nitrogen contained in the jx'at, 

 wiiicli amounts to 2 to '.\ per cent, can he ohtained in the form of .•nmnonia . 

 to tlie extent of 1.7!) to l.(il2 per cent l)y distilling the peat in sui)erheated 

 steam, the other products of the distillation (hydrocarbons, water gas, tar, 

 etc.) forming the fuel reiiniivd for the operation. 



■' Teat, therefore, is singularly well adapted for the intensive pi-odnction of 

 nitrates, since it forms an excellent medium for the growth of tlie organism, 

 suijplies the fuel necessary for the various operations, and tinally supplies 

 the ammonia required for the pi'oductiou of nitrates." 



Nitrate of soda and nitrate and nitrite of lime in field experiments at 

 Pare des Princes, 1906, L. Gkandeau (Jour. A(jr. Prat., n. ser., 11 {1906), No. 

 J.7-.J6'. Pit. 7JJ-7JJ). — Comparisons of nitrate of soda with nitrate and nitrite 

 of lime obtained from the Notodden factories in Norway on corn and potatoes 

 are reported. The results show that in general the Notodden products com- 

 pare favorably with nitrate of soda, and that there is no injurious effect from 

 tlie use of the nitrite as a fertilizer. 



The action of nitrite on plants, A. Stutzer {Jour. LaixJir., J'/ {1906), No. 2, 

 pp. 125-138; ahx. In Vhvin. (UiitbL, 1906, II, Xo. J/, p. ,3,5.i ) .—Experiments are 

 reported which show that nitrite injuriously affects germinating seeds, but 

 that the injury varies with the kind of plant. Young beet plants are espe- 

 cially affected. Red clover at the end of the germinating period is resistant. 

 With older plants the nitrite is not injurious and is in some cases less effective, 

 in other cases more effective than nitrate as a source of nitrogen. The author 

 iii'lieves that in the preparation of nitrogen compounds by means of electricity 

 effort should be made to obtain a jiroduct as free from nitrite as possible. 



Use of ammonium sulphate as a fertilizer, Bach.mann {Fulilii)(/'s Laiulw. 

 Ztff., 55 {1906), No. 13, pp. j!i51-Ji59). — Experiments are reported in continuation 

 of those of previous years (E. S. R.. KJ, pp. 24.1. 860) which show that in case of 

 rye one early spring (end of March) application of ammonium sulphate gave 

 on the whole better results on both loam and sandy soils than fall or late 

 spring applications. The same was true in case of summer cereals and beets. 



The action of annnonium sulphate, esjiecially in case of later applications, is 

 controlled to a large extent by the rainfall during the season. Results were not 

 conclusive as to the best depth of application for summer crops, but indicated 

 that it should i>robably be deejier on loam soils than on sandy soils. 



Production of sulphate of ammonia {Jour. Bd. Apr. [London]. 13 {1906), 

 No. 6. pp. 359. 360). — The production of this material in the United Kingdom 

 during liJOo is given as 209,114 tons as against 24.'">,!t!)0 tons in 1004. The av(n-- 

 age i)rice in 1005 was about $01 per ton. 



Use of gypsum in the recovery of ammonia as a by-product in coke making, 

 II. Warth (Vltciu. Ncu-K. 93 (I9(i6). No. 2-^2S, pp. 259. 21HI : ahs. in Jour. Soc. 

 Chcni. Iiidufi., 25 {1906), No. 1 '/, p. 686). — The use of calcium su]plint(> is recom- 

 mended for tlic i'('co\ery of anuiionia from gas li(]uor when large (piantities of 

 sulphuric acid are not availalile. 



In exi»eriments reported a sam])le of gas li(juor containing 2.0 gm. of 

 ammonia per 100 cc. was well shaken with gypsum, allowed to settle, and the 

 i'lear li(|uid drawn off. From this clear solution it was found possil)le to 

 recover 07 per cent of the ammonia present in the original gas liquor, namely. 



