SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 319 



and grease, especially the latter. Analyses by the author of several samples of 

 sludge show grease varying from 2.2 to 20.7 per cent on the basis of dry mat- 

 ter; also phosphoric acid from 1 to 6.3 per cent, and nitrogen from 0.8 to 3.8 

 per cent. Various processes of removing the grease are described, preference 

 being accorded to the so-called Ekenburg wet carbonizing process originally 

 designed for wet distillation of peat. 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



Soils of the eastern United States and their use, XXXVI-XXXVII, J. A. 



BoNSTEEL (U. S. Dcpt. Agr., Bur. 8oils Circs. 63, pp. 16; 6.'t, pp. 12). — These cir- 

 culars discuss 2 soil types with respect to geographical distribution, character- 

 istics, surface features and drainage, use, improvement, and crop adaptations. 



Circular 63 discusses the Volusia silt loam, of which a total of 821,184 acres 

 have been surveyed and mapped by the Bureau of Soils. It "is an extensive 

 type of soil developed at the higher altitudes in the glaciated northern portion 

 of the plateau country which extends westward along the New York and Penn- 

 sylvania line from the vicinity of the Delaware River to the northeastern part 

 of Ohio." The surface drainage is fairly well established, but " the internal 

 drainage of the subsoil is poor over considerable areas, and numerous springs 

 give rise to small swampy areas even upon some of the steeper slopes. Tile 

 drainage is one of the chief requisites to the better farming of large areas of 

 this soil." Oats, buckwheat, potatoes, and grass for pasture and hay are the 

 principal crops. Corn is grown successfully only at the lower elevations except 

 for silage, in which case it may be grown at higher altitudes, the flint varieties 

 being best adapted. 



Circular 64 discusses the Hagerstown clay, of which a total of 371,290 acres 

 in 12 different areas in 7 States have been surveyed and mapped. This type 

 " is an extensive limestone valley soil occurring throughout the valleys of the 

 Appalachian Mountain region and of the blue-grass region of Kentucky. The 

 soil is particularly well suited to the production of wheat and grass, and upon 

 properly tilled areas corn is also an important and profitable crop. The topog- 

 raphy of the type is usually rolling and sloping and the natural surface drainage 

 Is good." 



The soils of Prince George's County, J. A. Bonsteel (In The Physical 

 Features of Prince George's Counti/. Baltimore: Md. Geol. Survey, 1911, pp. 

 151-184). — This report was prepared under the supervision of the Bureau of 

 Soils of this Department and describes the agricultural conditions, geological 

 relationships, and physical and chemical characteristics of the leading soil types 

 of the county. 



The entire area, excepting a small part covered by the Cecil mica loam, lies 

 within the Coastal Plain region of the State. The most important soil types are 

 the Leonardtown loam, Susquehanna gravel, Windsor sand, Westphalia sand, 

 meadow, Norfolk sand, Collington sandy loam, Susquehanna clay, and the Sus- 

 quehanna clay loam, all " derived from the unconsolidated sediments belonging 

 to the mesozoic and cenozoic portions of the geological column." 



" The great variety of soils found in the county, the moderate climate and 

 general healthfulness of the greater part of the county, its accessibility by rail 

 and by water, all favor a greater specialization of agriculture and increased 

 profits from the cultivation of the soil." 



Has the fertility of land in India decreased? B. Coventry {Agr. Jour. India, 

 7 {1912), No. 1, pp. JioS'i). — This article gives in synopsis form the replies of 

 the agricultui-al directors of the various provinces of India to the qiaestion as to 

 the relative fertility of agricultural land at present as compared with former 



