SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 619 



The rainfall in this section is too small to produce chemical decomposition 

 in the soil. It is believed that the possibilities are excellent for utilizing the 

 waters, which are retained under the sand by an impervious clay formation and 

 afford an abundant and easily accessible supply of water. 



Cyrenaica contains large areas of red soils of a clayey nature and high water- 

 retaining power. The organic constituents varied from 3.9 to 8.3 per cent; 

 potash from 0.14 to 0.83 per cent ; phosphoric acid from 0.11 to 0.79 per cent ; 

 and nitrogen from 1 to 1.5 per cent. 



Researches on properties of peat soils of Picardy, E. CoQuiofi (Recherches 

 sur les Proprietes dcs Sols Tourheux de la Picardie. Paris, 1912, pp. 180, pis. 9, 

 flgK. 2.'t; abs. in Bui. Soc. Nat. Agr. France, 12 {1912), No. 6, pp. 501-609; Rev. 

 G^n. Sci., 23 (1912), No. 16, pp. 6-'it, 6^2).— This is an account of investigations 

 on the character of the vegetation and the chemical and physical properties of 

 these soils. 



It is stated that the vegetation of large areas of these peat lands is similar 

 to that of arid regions. TJiis peculiarity is attributed to the fact that, although 

 the absorptive power of the soil for water is enormous, the water is not given 

 up to the plants until the point of saturation is reached. The soils are in very 

 poor physical condition and are also deficient chemically. 



Black soils (chernozem), P. Kossovich {Die Schwarserde (Tscheniosiom). 

 Vienna, Berlin. London, 1912, pp. 156+VIIl, figs. 20). — This has already been 

 noted from another source (E. S. R., 26, p. 812). 



Gray sand and ortstein, H. Xiklas {Natunv. Ztschr. Forst u. Landw., 10 

 (1912), No. 1, pp. 369-^19). — This is a summary of the present knowledge on 

 the formation and composition of ortstein and gray sand. 



The chemical composition of red saline clay, E. Marcus and W. Biltz 

 (Ztschr. Anorgan. Chem., 11 (1912), No. 1, pp. 119-123).— Detailed analyses of 

 samples of red clay obtained from Schonebeck ai*e compared with the chemical 

 composition of blue clays from the same source and of clays from various other 

 sources. The characteristic difference in color of the Schonebeck clays is shown 

 to be due to the differences in amount and form of iron present. 



A peculiarity of the mole, H. M. Gmelin (Cultura, 2If (1912), No. 281, pp. 

 211-219). — The author found that the calcium carbonate content of the subsoil 

 transported by moles to the surface was much higher than that of the surface 

 soil. This led him to believe that the results of hydrochloric acid tests of the 

 lime requirements of soils may be unreliable if the sample of soil happens to 

 be taken from a mole hill, and this may be unavoidable owing to the smoothing 

 over of the hills by mechanical agencies. 



The cause of the absorbent power of soils, U. Pkatolongo (Stas. 8 per. Agr. 

 Ital, 45 (1912), No. 1, pp. 5-5Jt; abs. in Chem. Zentbh, 1912, 1, No. 13,p. 10.',S).— 

 This article gives in some detail the results of studies of the action of saline 

 solutions on zeolites, leucite, and soils. Among the more important conclu- 

 sions reached is that the absorptive power of soils can not be explained by the 

 formation of solid solutions. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 25, p. 21). 



A method of retaining water in the soil, K. Krebs (Illiis. Landic. Ztg., 32 

 (1912), No. 32, p. 301; abs. in Internat. Inst. Agr. [Rome], Bui. Bur. Agr. Intel, 

 and Plant Diseases, 3 (1912), No. 6, p. 1280). — Comparative tests of different 

 methods of planting crops with a view of holding the maximum amount of 

 snow and thus increasing the water supply in the soil are reported. 



The cooperation of organisms in clay formation, P. Rohland (Biochem. 

 Ztschr., 39 (1912), No. 3-4, pp. 205-201; abs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 102 

 (1912), No. 595, II, p. 48.'f). — " The odor of certain clays, which can be removed 

 by ferric saccharate solutions, suggests to the author the possibility that clay 

 may owe its formation to the action of micro-organisms." 



