SOILS FERTTLTZERS. 917 



of nitratos in the soil, tlic assimilalioii of iiitroi,'cn by roof-fulKTcIe or;;aiiisiiis, 

 and tilt" prci'Jii'ation and nso as fertilizer of calciinn cyanainid and linic nilcr. 



The use of artificial nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture {Snrr. Iiitlit/. et 

 Colon., 69 il!)()7), A'o. 6, pp. 15Jf-158). — The results of various experiments in 

 l''raiK'e witli calcium cyanamid as compared with nitrate of soda are sum- 

 marized, its behavior in the soil is described^ and pro^cautions to be observi-d in 

 its use are explained. A caustic or toxic effect on .t^ermination and plant growth 

 was observed wben llie cyanainid was aiiiilied af or near tbe time of planting. 

 Serious losses occurred when tbe material came in contact witli moist substances. 



The Birkeland-Eyde calciuna nitrate (lime niter) as a fertilizer, J. Bjer- 

 KNES {Chrixfiairut : Norsk Uydro-Klectrisk Kvaelxtofdhficsclshdh, 1906; ahs. in. 

 ZcHthl. .\(/r. CIkiii.. ,m (1907), No. 1, pp. 3-11). — The metiiod of preparing this 

 jiroduct is described, and pot and field tests of the fertilizing value of the 

 material by various investigators are reviewed, the author's general conclusion 

 drawn from the results being that lime niter is as effective as a source of 

 nitrogen for jjhuits as nitrate of soda and gives somewhat better general results 

 on soils pool' in lime. 



Experiments with three new fertilizers. Experiments with cereals, E. 

 CouRRiERE (-lour. \(ir. \l'(iris\. 'i I {J906), II, No. 2087, pp. 769-172: I'cr. Grii. 

 Affvoii., n. xir.. / (1906), No. 12, pp. '>l.i-516). — This is a brief sunnnaiy of the 

 results of various experiments with nitrate of lime, nitrite (if lime, and calcium 

 cyanamid. 



The influence of different carbohydrates and organic acids on the denitri- 

 fication process, J. Stoki.as.v and E. Vitek {Zt.sclir. ZuckcrUulus. Bohrnen, 31 

 (19116). No. 2. pp. 67-119; aha. in Vhem. Ztg., 30 (1906), No. 98, Repert. No. 51, 

 p. .'i3.1; Jour. 8oc. Chem. Indii.'i.. 23 (1906), No. 23, p. 1162).— Thin is a report of 

 an exhaustive investigation in which the influence of a large number of sugars 

 and neutral salts of organic acids on (1) ammonization bacteria which reduce 

 nitrates to nitrites and Anally to ammonia, and on (2) denitrificatlon bacteria 

 whicli rc^duce nitrates to free nitrogen, was studied. 



Of the first class, including amoung others Clostridiuiii (jelatinosiim, Protcua 

 vulgaris and /'. zcnkcri. Bacillus rumosiis n. Ii(ii(cfaciens, B. mi/coicles, B. incgu- 

 therimn, B. subtil is, B. prodigiosus, etc.. B. nn/coides reduced 20.69 per cent of 

 tlie nitrate nitrogen px'esent to ammonia in the ])resence of glucose, 1.9 per cent 

 in presence of fructose. 1.72 per cent in presence of galactose, and 1.91 per cent 

 in ])resence of arabinose ; B. subtilis, 2.41 per cent in presence of glucose, 

 G.55 per cent in presence of fructose, and (i.22 per cent in presence of galactose; 

 C. gclatinosuni, 45.55 per cent in presence of arabinose and 9.()8 per cent In 

 presence of xylose; and B. prodigiosus, 2.58 per cent in presence of xylose. 

 The reaction was in all cases relatively slow and was not alike with all the 

 sugars. For instance, P. zcnkcri reduced lo.l per cent of nitrogen in ])resence 

 of glucose, but none in presence of fructose. 



Of the second class, including Bacterium hartlehi, B. fluorescens Uqucfacicns, 

 B. piiocuancuni. B. stutzeri, B. fllefaciens, B. nitrovorum-, B. centropunctatum. 

 Bacillus denitriflcan^, B. eoli communis, B. typhi abdominalis, etc. Bacterium 

 hartlebi set free 98.97 per cent of the nitrate nitrogen in presence of glucose, 

 87.59 per cent in presence of fructose, 74.(50 per cent in presence of galactose, 

 Gr).;',8 per cent in presence of arabinose, 8.").:'.8 per cent in presence of xylose, 

 84.48 per cent in jn-esence of cane sugar, and 77.15 per cent in the case of milk 

 sugar; B. centropunctatum, 5.17 per cent in presence of gluco.se; B. nitroraruni. 

 5.17 per cent in presence of fructose; Bacillus coli conininni^, 5.43 per cent in 

 presence of galactose ; and Bactcriitm Huorescens liquefaciens, 7.08 per cent in 

 presence of arabinose. The reaction was as a rule very intense both with the 

 sugars and with the salts of organic acids, especially of lactic acid, and was 



