SOILS- — FKirnr.TZKRs. 821 



the 1») stations have shown tli(> coiiniiorcial culture of legume bacteria dried 

 on c-otton to be of little or no practical valu(\ The tests made by the New York 

 State Station indicate that the metal containers which have recently been used 

 for protectinjr the commercial cultures from deterioration are not effective for 

 that purpose. 



"The results from the examinations of 20 commercial cultures indicate that 

 the fjoods uixm the market for 1!>U<> were little if any better than tho;'.e off(>red 

 in VM)7t. In neither year was there any evidence that the jmrchaser had had 

 more tlian the remotest chance of receiving the worth of his money from the 

 use of such cultures." 



Dried cultures for legumes unsatisfactory, F. H. Hall et al. (Netc York 

 State Sta. Bill. 282, popnUir cd.. pp. .'/). — A popular edition of the above. 



Principles and maintenance of soil fertility, A. R. Wiiitson and C W. 

 Stoddart {Wisconsin stu. Bui. T.i'-K PP- 28. th/x. !i). — "This bulletin is written 

 for the purpose of putting before the farmer a statement of our present knowl- 

 edge of the factors which influence the fertility of the soil and of the relation 

 of these factors to each other." 



The following topics are discussed mainly on the basis of experimental re- 

 sults obtained at the Wisconsin Station: Chemical composition of soils; con- 

 ditions which influence fertility, such as amount and condition of organic and 

 inorganic matter, nitrification, nitrogen fixation, and acidity : and the nature 

 and use of fertilizers of various kinds. 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers and ground bone, J. P. 

 Strkkt. V. J. Carberry, and P. E. Brown (New Jcvuvij tStas. Bill. 11)8, pp. ,il)). — 

 This is the final report on fertilizer inspection for the year 190(5 (for previous 

 report see E. S. R., 18. p. 433), and discusses the results of inspection for the 

 year as a whole. Of the 635 samples of fertilizers and fertilizing materials 

 examined during the year. 430 were complete fertilizers. The average composi- 

 tion of the complete fertilizers was about the same as during the previous year 

 except in the case of potash, which showed a considerable decrease^. A compari- 

 son of average prices shows that the manufacturers furnished on the average 

 during 1906 a little less plant food than in 1905 at a con-espondingly reduced 

 price per ton. 



" The same apparently wide difference of opinion among manufacturers as to 

 •the requirements of special crops is quite as noticeable as in previous years. 

 This year there are 123 different brands designated for i)otatoes with 55 different 

 guarantees. 77 for vegetables and truck with 48 different guarantees, 32 for corn 

 with 23 different guarantees, and 23 for sweet potatoes with 13 different guar- 

 antees. The guarantees in brands designated for these different crops differ 

 quite as widely as noted in previous years ; with the possible exceptions of the 

 formula 2:8:10 for white potatoes and the same formula for sweet potatoes, 

 there is little agreement among the manufacturers as to the crops' requirements. 

 These wide variations in guarantee emphasize very strongly how^ little useful 

 information is supplied by the name of a brand as regards its use for any 

 special crop." 



Commercial fertilizers, T. L. Calvert and N. W, Lord {Ofjir. Rpt. Sec. Ohio 

 Bd. Agr. on Coin. Frrts.. 1906, pp. 9Jf). — ^This is a report of inspection of fertili- 

 zers licensed for sale in Ohio during 19(Mj, giving guarantees and actual analyses 

 of 615 samples. 



Some facts concerning fertilizers and their use, R. IIarcourt (Ontario 

 Dept. Ai/r. Bill. /.'».). jiik Hi). — This is a compilation of information on the nature 

 and use of fertilizers, including simple directions for making fertilizer experi- 

 ments. 



