SOILS FERTILIZERS. 615 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



A treatise on rocks, rock-weathering, and soils, (}. 1*. Merrill (Neiv Yorlc 

 cud London: The .Uacniillun Co., llXHi, rev. cd., pp. XXl + .'/UO. pis. :il. fujx. J,2).— 

 'l'lu> author states that in the preparation of this revised edition " many errors 

 have heen corrected, matter that proved nonessential eliminated, and a consid- 

 crahle nnnil)er of n<>\v analyses and illustrations inti'oduced." 



Studies on the soils of the northern poi'tion of the Great Plains region: 

 The third steppe, V. .1. Alwav and It. A. (Ioktnek (A)ncr. Chcin. Jour., 37 

 (19117), A o. J. pp. I~7). — This is a continuation of studies ju'eviously noted 

 (E. S. R., IS, i>. .");'.l) and deals with the rej?ion exteudinjj "from the ^Missouri 

 Coteau westward to the lioc]<y Mountains or the bordering foothills, including 

 the portions of Alberta and western Saslcatchewan south of the Nortli Sas- 

 l<atcliewan River." The altitude of this region varies from about 2.000 ft. on 

 the east to over 4,000 ft. at the foot of the moinitains. 



The soil is in general more sandy and gravelly than that of the second steppe, 

 studies of wliicli were reported in the previous article. " The surface soils are 

 ricli in nitrogen, potash, and lime, and are well provided with phosphoric acid. 

 Tile subsoil differs in nuneral constituents from the preceding chiefly in the 

 uuicii larger amount of calcium and magnesium carbonates and in a somewhat 

 smaller amount of potash. liotli contain considerable quantities of water-solu- 

 ble salts, which in many places over the area have been partly leached out 

 into the depressions, forming tracts of alkali lands." 



Analyses of samples from each foot of the soil to a depth of ft. are reported 

 as well as of the water of Old Wives Lake, which is situated near the eastern 

 edg(> of the steppe and serves as an evaporating basin for the drainage of a 

 region covering about .5,000 square miles. Analysis of the lake water showed 

 the jiresence of -1.3 gm. of solid matter per liter, the principal constituents 

 iieing sodium, sulphuric acid, and chlorin, indicating that the principal salt 

 present is sodium sulphate, with smaller amounts of sodium chlorid. 



Attention is called to the fact that glass objects which have been exposed for 

 some time to direct sunshine on the soils of this region assume a more or less 

 intense violet coloration. I.t was thought that this might be due to the rather 

 large proportion of manganese occurring in the soil, but further investigation 

 indicated that it resulted from the i)resence of manganese in the glass itself. 



Maintaining the fertility of rice soils — a chemical study, G. S. Fraps 

 ('rents >S7(/. Bill. S.>. pp. .'i2, /hjs. -'/). — This bulletin reports a study of the chem- 

 ical composition and jiroperties of some rice soils, rice irrigation waters, and of 

 the rice plant itself, with the object of suggesting methods for maintaining the 

 tertility of rice soils. 



From the analyses reported it is estimated that an average Texas rice cro]) 

 (producing 1,!)00 lbs. of X'ough rice per aci-e) requires IG lbs. of phosphoric acid. 

 42 lbs. of nitrogen, and r>."» ll)s. of jjotash. Rice straw carries with it when re- 

 moved :'. lbs. of phosphoric acid, 14 lbs. of nitrogen, and 31 lbs. of potash i)cr 

 acre. In iiuniing rice stubble nearly 5 lbs. of nitrogen is lost and in burning rice 

 straw 14 lbs. of nitrogen i)asses off. The ashes of the straw contain ."'> lbs. of 

 I>h(isphoric acid and '.i~ lbs. of potash per acre. 



"An average crop of rice consumes more nitrogen than an average crop of 

 cotton, oats, or corn. If the rice straw is taken entirely away, the draft on 

 the potash is four times as nmch as by cotton, oats, or corn. If the rice straw 

 ashes are restored, the loss of potash is .5 lbs. per acre, about half as much as is 

 removed by cotton, oats, or corn. 



" Ou an average, 7.0 lbs. phosphoric acid, 1.4 lbs. nitrogen, and 2.''..4 ll)s. 



