SOILS — FERTILIZEKS. 821 



Five years' fertilizer experiments in East Prussia, A. Stutzee et al. (Arb. 

 Deut. Landic. Gesell., No. 258 (1914), pp. IV +236; ahs. in Internat. Inst. Agr. 

 [Rome], Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 7, pp. 873, 874). — 

 In cooperative fertilizer experiments made during the years 1909 to 1913 on 

 farms in different parts of East Prussia it was found tliat 40 per cent potasli 

 salt was better than kainit as a winter top-dressing, and that potash was espe- 

 cially necessary on permanent pastures and meadows. 



The results indicate that small applications of nitrogen may be beneficial to 

 grass lands, but are not conclusive as to the conditions under which this is 

 the case. Calcium nitrate proved to be a very effective source of nitrogen. 

 Cyanamid was considerably inferior to sodium or calcium nitrates. The ease 

 of application and eflaciency of the cyanamid was increased by mixing it with 

 ground bog iron ore, which assists in the transformation of the cyanamid into 

 urea. Cyanamid freed from carbid by treatment with steam gave higher 

 yields of oats than ordinary cyanamid. A mixture of ammonium sulphate and 

 salt gave better results with sugar beets than sodium nitrate in a good season 

 but poorer results in a bad (dry) year. Urea obtained from atmospheric ni- 

 trogen and urea nitrate gave good results in field and pot experiments, the 

 recovery of nitrogen by oats being higher for these substances than for sodium 

 nitrate. In case of tobacco urea nitrate was the most efi'ective nitrogenous 

 fertilizer used. Calcium nitrite, aluminum nitrogen, and silicon nitrogen, all 

 atmospheric nitrogen compounds, were of little or no value as fertilizers. 



The stimulating or catalytic effect of various metallic oxids and salts of 

 metals was studied with inconclusive results. 



The action of mineral fertilizers on the activity of certain soil bacteria, 

 C. LuMiA (Atti R. Accad. Lincei, Rend. CI. Sci. Fis., Mat. e Nat., 5. ser., 23 

 {1914), I, No. 9, pp. 738-746; ahs. in Chem. Zenthl., 1914, II, No. 3, p. 261; 

 Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 33 (1914), No. 14, p. 759). — It was found that the alco- 

 holic ferment remained practically inactive in culture media deficient in phos- 

 phoric acid and potash. Various phosphates, especially Thomas slag, promoted 

 the activity of the ferment, but perphosphate checked it on account of the free 

 sulphuric acid present. This retarding efi'ect was overcome by adding calcium 

 carbonate. Potassium sulphate and chlorid were almost as effective as phos- 

 phates in promoting the activity of the ferment, but leucite was without effect. 



The author suggests that the behavior of the bacteria indicated in these re- 

 sults may be used as a means of differentiating between eas51y assimilable and 

 difficultly assimilable fertilizers. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 31. p. 27). 



Radio-active fertilizers, J. Stoklasa (Chem. Ztg., 38 (1914), No. 79, pp. 

 841-844)- — Tests of the effect of radium emanations on bacteria, germinating 

 seeds, and various crops are reported. 



It was found that treatment with the radium emanations increased fixation 

 of nitrogen by bacteria, promoted germination of seeds, and increased the 

 growth of plants to a marked, extent. A chemical analysis and ix>t test of a 

 so-called radioactive fertilizer indicated that whatever fertilizing value this 

 material may possess is not due to its radio-active properties. 



The bacterial treatment of peat, W. B. Bottomley (Bot. Jour. [London'], 

 3 (1914), No. 2, pp. 49-53). — A brief account is given of the author's method of 

 treating peat to make it more active as a fertilizer and as a medium for the 

 growth of Azotobacter. The results of tests of the material with various gar- 

 den crops are also reported. These results indicated " that bacterized peat, in 

 addition to being an excellent medium for the growth and distribution of 

 nitrogen-fixing bacteria, possessed special manurial properties of its own." 



See also a previous note (E. S. R.. 30, p. 721). 



