so EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



Source, availability, and suitability of different forms of plant food con- 

 stituents to different crops, C. B. Williams (North Carolina Sta. Circ. 11 

 (1914), pp. 5). — This is a brief popular discussion of the subject. 



Composition and fertilizing value of farm crops and other farm materials, 

 C. B. Williams {North Carolina Sta. Circ. 6 (1913), /oiio).— Tables show the 

 fertilizing constituents, the value of various farm products, and other data. 



[The guano situation in Peru] (Peru To-day, 5 (1913), Nos. 4, pp. 858, 859; 

 G, pp. 957-959; West Coast Leader, 2 (1913), No. 80, p. 11; ahs. in Intemat. 

 Inst. Agr. [Roni€~\, Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), ^o. 2, 

 pp. 204-207). — From reviews of the annual report of the Penivian Guano Com- 

 pany for the year ended March 31, 1913, and the financial message of the 

 President of the Republic dated September 5, 1913, it is noted that the guano 

 extracted during the year for domestic use in accordance with the agreement 

 between the Peruvian Government and the guano company entered into in 

 1909 was 24,350 (Spanish) tons of high grade guano containing 9.18 per cent 

 of nitrogen (which was only 20 per cent of the amount demanded by the users) 

 and 12,242 tons of low grade guano containing less than 3 per cent of nitrogen. 

 The total amount of guano extracted under this agreement since 1909 has 

 been high grade 93.297 tons, low grade 44,044 tons, or a total of 137,341 tons. 

 The Peruvian corporation which assumed certain obligations of the Peruvian 

 Government in 1890 in exchange for the right to extract and export guano not 

 to exceed 2,000,000 tons has exported to date 1,134,918 tons. It is stated that 

 from 1841 to 1879, when the industry was at its height, over 12,000,000 tons of 

 guano was exported. 



Realizing that the frequent disturbance of the guano-producing birds conse- 

 quent upon unrestricted extraction of the guano is seriously interfering with 

 the renewal of the deposits, the Peruvian Government has employed experts to 

 report upon means of preventing the disappearance of the birds and has taken 

 steps to provide for rotation in working the deposits and a closed season of 

 five months each year to protect the birds. 



Peat-moss litter, W. F. Todd (Jour. Amer. Peat Sac., 6 (1913), No. 4, pp. 

 161-166; al)s. in Engin. Mag., 46 (1914), ^o. 6, pp. 985-987).— Attention is called 

 to the deodorizing, disinfecting, and absorbent properties of peat moss which 

 specially fit it for use as a litter. It is said to furnish good bedding, to keep 

 the hoofs of animals in good condition, and to yield a very valuable manure 

 in which flies do not breed. 



Sulphate of ammonia industry of Germany, R. P. Skinner (Daily Cons, 

 and Trade Rpts. [U. S.], 17 (1914), No. 54, p. 878).— Brief reference is made to 

 the activities of two large rival firms manufacturing ammonium sulphate in 

 Germany, and statistics of imports and exports of this material are given. 



It is stated that the imports were 34,G26 metric tons in 1913 as compared 

 with 23,097 tons in 1912. The exports amounted to 75,868 tons in 1913 as com- 

 pared with 56,948 tons in 1912. The exix»rts to the United States amounted 

 to 5,629 tons in 1913. 



Potash shipments during 1914, R. P. Skinner (Daily Cons, and Trade 

 Rpts. [U. 8.], 17 (1914), No. 56, p. 909; Commercial Pert., 8 (1914), A'O. 3, p. 

 16; Jour. Indus, and Entgin. Chem., 6 (1914), No. 5, p. 429). — Statistics of the 

 deliveries for domestic and foreign consumption during the year 1914 in accord- 

 ance with the provisions of the Potash Syndicate law and of actual exports of 

 potash salts from Germany during 1912 and 1913 are given. 



The deliveries agreed upon are for domestic consumption 635,300 metric 

 tons of pure potash, and for foreign consumption 531,300 tons. The total ex- 

 ports in 1913 amounted to 1,829,617 metric tons valued at $22,164,000. 



