618 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



nninlier and vigor of the tuherclos so great as in tliat oconrring Jty natural 

 means." 



The nutrition of cultivated plants, G. Smets {La NKtrition des Plaiites 

 Ciiltirrcs. MacKCjic],- : \'(ni(l( r(l(jii(h--R<jl)]j>is. 1905, 2. cd., pp. 27,?, fifis. 2). — This 

 book summarizes hrietly but clearly information drawn largely from the 

 author's own work regarding the general laws and principles of plant nutrition 

 and elaboration of plant food, the behavior of fertilizing substances in the soil, 

 various kinds and classes of manures and fertilizers, fertilizer requirements of 

 Belgian soils, and the use of fertilizers on different kinds and classes of crops 

 and soils. Numerous references to accounts of investigations upon which the 

 book is based are given. 



The management of stable manure in the heap, A. Stutzer {Fiihling's 

 rAiiidir. Ztg., 55 (If)OG). No. 13, pp. ,)J6'--'/.'/2, /7.'/.s'. 'i). — A general discussion of 

 this subject. 



On storage of liquid manure (Ber. K. Vet, og Laiidhohojskolcs Lai). Land- 

 okonom. Forsug [Copenhagen], 60 {1906), pp. lJiO-lJi2). — Experiments on 

 conservation of liquid manure were conducted in connection with the investiga- 

 tion of the protein minimum for dairy cows, x'eported elsewhere (E. S. R., 

 iS, J). (ICS). Sulphuric acid or peat litter in different quantities was added to 

 definite amounts of urine and the mixture left standing in glazed crocks or in 

 bottles for about six months. The nitrogen content was determined at the be- 

 ginning and the end of the trials. The losses of niti'ogen ol)tained were as fol- 

 lows : 1,000 gm. urine alone, 70.5 per cent; urine and peat litter, 5:1, 02.4 per 

 cent ; 1:1, 17.7 per cent ; 1 :2, no loss ; 1 :3, 1.8 per cent ; urine in a stopi)'ered bot- 

 tle connected with a bent glass tube, the other end of which was placed under 

 sulphuric acid, no loss ; urine left standing under similar conditions as in last 

 experiment, except that the tube was not sealed by sulphuric acid, but was left 

 open, no loss. 



The practical deduction drawn from the experiments is that a liquid-manure 

 cistern should be made water-tight and closed with a tightly fitting cover which 

 will prevent esca]»e of ammonia in the air above the liquid. — r. w. woll. 



Value of moss litter {.Jour. Bd. Agr. [Lo7idon], 13 {1906), No. 6, pp. 360, 

 361). — Tests of the absorbent capacity and value as litter for stables of this 

 material are briefly reported, the high absorbent capacity of the material for 

 both nitrogen and water being clearly shown. Manure with which this litter 

 was used was apparently quicker in action than that with which straw was used. 



Water as a plant food, A. Backhaus {Verhandl. Gesell. Deut. tiaturf. u. 

 Aerzte, 1905, II, 1. Aht., pp. 123-121 ; abs. hi Chem. Centhl, 1906, II, No. 18, 

 p. lJ,53).—Bee also E. S. R., 17, p. 1055. 



Artificial manures in Japan {Abs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 25 {1906), 

 No. 19, p. 9.'i2). — Data are reported showing that the demand for fertilizers 

 in Japan is very active, prices rising, and production increasing. The imports 

 consist mainly of ammonium sulphate, oil cake, and phosphates. The greater 

 part of the sardines caught in Japanese waters, valued at about .$3,050,000, 

 are ultimately used as manure. (See also E. S. R., 17, p. 1140.) 



Report on commercial fertilizers, 1906, E. H. Jenkins, A. L. Winton, et al. 

 {C'unneeticut State Sia. Rpt. 1906, pt. 1, pp. 106). — Analyses of 559 samples of 

 commercial fertilizers and manurial waste products examined during the j'ear 

 are reported and. discussed with reference to variation in composition and com- 

 mercial value. The fertilizers examined are classified as follows : Containing 

 nitrogen as the chief valual)le ingredient, 118 samples; containing phosphoric 

 iicid as the chief valuable ingredient, 11 samples; containing potash as the 

 chief valuable ingredient, 39 samples; containing nitrogen and phosphoric acid, 



