532 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The surface soil is ricli in nitrogen (0.23 per cent in first foot) and both 

 surface and subsoil are well supplied with potash ((1.87 to (».(! iter cent) and 

 phosphoric acid (0.14 to 0.18 per cent). The subsoil is also very rich in carbo- 

 nates. 



A studj' of moisture conditions in the soil leads to the conclusion that it 

 is the moisture stored in the deep and permeable subsoil during the previous 

 summer and not the frost of the preceding winter, as claimed by Sir Wm. 

 Crookes and others, that is the cause of the high yields. The I'elative fertility 

 of different areas of the soil seems to depend more upon the character of the 

 subsoil as related to storage of moisture, etc., than ui)on that of the surface 

 soil. 



On the agricultural value of the cacao soils of St. Thomas and the Gold 

 Coast, A. Hebert (Bill Hoc. Chun. Paris, 3. sci:, 3o (lOOli). Ao. 20-21, pp. 

 JO39-IO4I; ahs. in Jour. Cliem. Soc. {London'], 90 (1906), No. 530. II, p. 889). — 

 I'hysical and chemical analyses of a number of samples are reported. It is 

 stated that in common with African soils in general the soils examined showed 

 a marked deficiency of lime and potash, although nitrogen and phosphoric acid 

 are usually present in sufficient amounts. 



On the soils of the middle buntersandstein, E. Blanck ( Landiv. Vers. Stat., 

 65 {1906), No. 3-'i, pp. 161-216. pJ. 1). — A geological and chemical study 

 of this subject is reported, with a review of literature. 



The results of examination of a number of soils of this group with ref- 

 erence to physical, chemical, petrographic, and mineralogical properties, and 

 absorptive power for potash, phosphoric acid, and nitrogen, are reported, and 

 the stages in the formation of such soils and their modification by the use of 

 fertilizers are discussed. 



Management of soils to conserve moisture, G. 11. Failyer {V. 8. Dcpt. Agr., 

 Farmer.^' Bui. 266, pp. 30, fins:. 7). — This bulletin is a popular discussion of 

 the subject of conservation of moisture in soils with special reference to 

 semi-arid conditions, its preparation being suggested by the increasing interest 

 taken in the question of dry farming in parts of the semi-arid West. It dis- 

 cusses briefly general principles, and deals more fully with the relation of 

 drainage and tillage to soil moisture, conditions in the semi-arid regions and 

 l»est method of controlling them, crops best suited to such regions, and the 

 relation of organic matter to the conservation of moisture in soils. 



Soil differences, J. A. Bonsteel (Cornell Countrynntn. J, (1906). No. 3. pp. 

 68-70). — This article briefly discusses differences in texture, structure, oi'ganic 

 matter, moisture relations, and drainage of soils. 



On Loew's theory regarding the lime-magnesia ratio in soils, J. C. de 

 UuiJTER DE WiLDT (Cuituru, IS (1906), Nos. 216. pp. 'i63-Ji71; 217, pp. .305-513; 

 218, pp. 557-570; 219, pp. 650-666). — Investigations on this subject are critically 

 reviewed and the conclusion is reached that these investigations do not demon- 

 strate that a definite relation between lime and magnesia is necessary to 

 normal nutrition of plants, although it is not denied that a relation may 

 exist. Further investigation of the subject is required. 



The removal of black alkali by leaching, F. K. Cameron and H. E. Patten 

 (Jour. Amer. Cliem. Soc, 28 (1906), No. 11, pp. 1639-16'i9, figs. 5; aT).s. in Chem. 

 Ahs., 1 (1907), No. 1, pp. 79, 80). — This article reports analyses and percolation 

 tests with 2 samples of black alkali soils, one from North Yakima, Wash., the 

 other from Fresno, Cal. 



The analyses showed that these samples of alkali contained besides the soluble 

 carbonates notable quantities of sodium sulphate with nuich smaller amounts of 

 other sulphates and chlorids. One hundred grams of each soil was placed in a 

 paraffined brass tube connected below with a short section of a Pasteur-Chamber- 

 land filter tube, and distilled water was allowed to percolate through the soil 



