916 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Is there any considerable evaporation of ammonia from soils? Lilien- 

 THAL mius. Landiv. Zt(/.. .n; {l'.)li6). So. 01), pp. 851, S52 ; ubn. hi. Chem. Ztg., 

 31 (1907), No. 9, Repert. .Vo. 7, /i. //2).— Summarizing tlie results of 6 years' 

 experiments ou soils rich iu lime, the author finds that on such soils ammoniacal 

 nitrogen not only gives as good results as nitrate nitrogen, but in some cases 

 better results. 



In recent experiments with barley on light sandy soils the ethciency of the 

 ammoniacal nitrogen was from !)7.G to 98.5 per cent of that of the nitrate 

 nitrogen. These results were obtained on soil which had been heavily limed. 

 There was no evidence of any great loss of ammonia, certainly not greater than 

 is due to drainage in case of nitrate of soda. It is important, however, to apply 

 the ammonium sulphate some time (about 14 days) before r)lanting and to thor- 

 oughly incorporate it with the soil. 



Classification of forms of humus in forest soils according to the con- 

 clusions of the International Association of Forestry Experiment Stations, 

 Albeet (Ztschr. Forst a. Jagdiv., 39 {1901), Xo. 1, pp. 3-8). — ^The principal 

 forms of nitrogen occurring in forest soils are classified and defined. 



Industrial treatment of jjeat to increase its content of nitrogen in 

 view of its application as a manure, E. V. H. Bazin (First Addition, July 

 3, 1906, to French Patent 3(!0,JiSJ,. Dee. l',. 1905: ahs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 

 25 (1906), No. 24, P- 1221). — A method of making and operating a niter bed 

 made of blocks of peat and supplied with effluent from sewage septic tanks is 

 described. 



Soil inoculation (Vountnj Life ^London], 21 [1901), No. 521, pp. 182, 208, 

 209). — A brief account is given of experiments by A. W. Sutton with American 

 and German cultures which gave unfavorable results, this being ascribed to the 

 use of old or inferior cultures. 



German nitragin and American nitro-cultures as inoculating material 

 for leguminous plants, T. Rkmy {Ceiitbl. Bakt. [c/c], 2. Alt., 11 (1906), No. 

 19-21, pp. 660-613, flgn. 9; abs. in Chem. Ztg., 31 (1901). No. It. Repert. No. 9, 

 p. 53). — The author reports bacteriological tests of American nitro-cultures 

 which as in i)revious years gave negative results as regards the characteristic 

 tubercle bacteri:!. In comparative inoculation tests of this material with 

 nitragin in water cultures, pot tests, and field experiments on various legu- 

 minous plants the nitragin gave good results while the nitro-culture produced no 

 effect. 



Atmospheric nitrogen (Amer. Fert., 26 (1901), No. 1, pp. 5-1). — This article 

 briefly discusses the relation of the world's supply of fixed nitrogen to the food 

 supply, as well as the possibilities of adding to this supply l>y artificial methods 

 of fixing the nitrogen of tlie air. 



Fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, G. Erlwein (Elektroteeh. Ztschr., 28 

 (1901). .Yo.s. 2, pp. 'il-'i5. fig.s. S; J, /ip. 62-66, figs. 13; abs. in Electrochcm. and 

 Metallurg. Indus., 5 (1901), No. 3, pp. 11-19, figs. 4)- — This paper describes in 

 detail the theory and practical operation of the process of manufacturing cal- 

 cium cyanamid, and discusses its uses and importance in the industries and in 

 agriculture, summarizing the results of numerous comparative fertilizer tests 

 of this material and of ammonium sulphate and sodium nitrate. 



Future supplies of nitrogen for agriculture (Cultura, 19 (1901), No. 222, 

 pp. 11-98. figs. 8). — ^lethods of preparing lime nitrogen and lime niter are 

 described, and the agricultural value of these products is discussed. The im- 

 portance of the ac(iuisition of free nitrogen by leguminous plants is also 

 considered. 



The plants' supply of nitrogen, F. B. Guthrie (Agr. Gaz. N. 8. Wales, IS 

 (1901), No. 1, pp. .^0-55, figs. 11). — This article briefly discusses the formation 



