SOILS FERTILIZERS. 621 



'I'lic clliciciicy (if the phospli.iU's .•ippMi'cutly dcpciKls to a lai'se extent upon 

 their actimi in associalion with (itlicr Icrtiliziiii,' materials, partienlarly lliose 

 coiilaiiiiii.i; iiitro.ireii. Ajipareiitly iiotli Tiionias slai; and agricultural ])h()Si)hato 

 ;(iiie-.ur(.uii(l mineral jihosphate) may cause a ciinsiderahle loss of nitrogen 

 (luring dry hot weather when applied in connection with nitrogenous fertilizers, 

 esjiecially auniionium sulphate, hut the loss is greater in case of Thomas slag 

 than in case of the agricultural phosphate. For this reason the net result with 

 Tiioinas slag in such cases was not greatly superior to that ohtained with agri- 

 eultural phosiihate. although a given amount of i)hosi)lioric acid in form of the 

 slag is as a I'ule nnicli more effective tlian the same amount in foiMii of agri- 

 cultural j)hos]ihate. The use of potash salts appeared to I'cduce the loss of 

 lutrogen resulting from the action of the phosphates. The loss o'l nitrogen was 

 greatest when the iiiti'ogenous materials were ajiplied as top-dressing. 



In a later article the autlior refers to the w()rl< of rrianishnikov on tiie influ- 

 ence of a'mmonium sulphate on the solui)ility of phosjihates as furnishing a pos- 

 sil)l(> exjilanation of the high availahility of agricultural phosphate reported 

 Liy certain investigators, especially liachniaiui (E. S. K., 17. p. 17). He also 

 emphasizes his i)revious conclusion that in certain cases Thomas slag exerts a 

 decided iiitluence in riMidering nitrogen of the soil less availahle. 



Coniijarative tests of Thomas slag and agricultural phosphate as fer- 

 tilizers, Baciimann (liciit. Landtv. I'rcHSC, 33 (I'JOd), No. 89, p. 707). — The 

 author criticises some of the conclusions of Clausen in the article above 

 refei'ri'd to. 



Comparative fertilizer tests of Thomas slag and agricultural phosphate, 

 r.oTTCiiER and Bachmann (I)ctit. Landic. Prcusc. 33 (lUln;), yo. 98. iip- 7(!8, 

 7(!9). — This is a further discussion of this sulu'ect Itased u|)on the exjieriments 

 referred to in the articles noted above. 



Phosphate of lime in Algeria (Ahs. in Jour. Nor. Cheni. Indus.. 25 (1906), 

 A'o. /.''. /*. 9'i.^). — The large and easily accessible deposits in the Province of Con- 

 stantine, namely, those of Tebessa, Setif. Guelma. and Ain-BeTd;i. .are discussed. 

 Two classes of i)hosphate are now handled. ( 1 ) that containing i;:; to 70 per 

 cent of calcium jihosphafe. and (2) that containing 58 to (!3 per cent. The cost 

 at the (lu.iy at Bona is at present from $2.64 to $2.SS, the price being higher 

 than it should be on account of unsatisfactory transportation facilities. 



Crude ammonia, M. de Molinari and O. Lirot (/?»/. Afir. \Iinisscls], 22 

 {WoCy). Ao. .7. />/). 571-577, fifjs. 2).— Pot tests with oats (.f tliis material (con- 

 centrated gas house liipior) in comparison with nitrate of soda are reported. 

 The growth was normal with both materials, but the nitrate was the more 

 effective fertilizer. The crude ammonia used in these experiments contained 

 2.2S i)er cent of anunoniacal nitrogen, l.iKi per cent of organi(; nitrogen soluble 

 in water, and 1.78 per cent of organic nitrogen insoluble in water. Comparative 

 tests of the complete material with that containing only the organic nitrogen 

 soluble in water or tli;it insoluble in water showed that the organic nitrogen 

 soluble In water w;is less effective than the comi)lcte material and tliat the 

 organic nitrogen insoluble in water had no effect whatever. 



The cause of the lower efficiency of ammoniacal nitrogen in comparison 

 with nitric nitrogen (fhiil. Laiidir. I'ressc, 33 (1906), No. 78. p. 62.'/). — A 

 brief review is here given of a report by Wagner on this sub.iect in another 

 iournal, sunnnarizing the results of 4 years' field and pot experiments. 



The average of a large number of such experiments shows that if the efti- 

 ciency of nitrogen in nitrate of soda on grains, beets, and potatoes, be taken 

 as 100, the comparative efficiency of ammoniacal nitrogen is for barley 72, for 

 oats 91, for winter wheat 98. for winter rye 7(i. for potatoes 88. for fodder 

 beets 5.3, and for sugar beets 73. Against the more histing effect of the ammoni- 



