SOILS FERTILIZERS. 529 



The dependence of the effect of the manure npoii seasonal variations is very 

 clearly brought out, the effect being greater in wet seasons than in dry. The 

 effect of the manure on the second crop of wheat was more directly dependent 

 upon the seast)n than was true in the case of the first ci'op. In other words, 

 the increase of yield due to the application of manure was more constant in case 

 of the tirst crop than of the second. 



The decomposition of manure, P. Ehrenberg and E. Reichenbach (Mitt. 

 Landw. Inst. Breslau, 4 (1909), No. 5, pp. 853-872) .—The principal facts 

 brought out by the exi>eriments here reported are that there was no appreci- 

 able loss of ammonia from compact manure heaps in which no preservative 

 of any kind was used, but that in the course of two months there was a loss 

 of about 10 per cent of nitrogen in elementary form. 



Fertilizers, D. N. Prianishnikov (VcJiciiie oh Udobrcnil. Moscoiv, 1908, 

 3. cd., pp. 34S-\-II, pis. 8, figs. 39).— A third edition. 



Report of the work of the agricultural societies of Seeland in plant culture, 

 1908, O. H. Larsen (Bcr. Landhofor. Virks. I'lantcavl. t^juUand, 190S, pp. 

 354). — The report contains an account of the activities of the agricultural socie- 

 ties of Seeland during the year in the line of cooperative fertilizer trials, 

 variety tests, demonstration plats, etc., 2G4 separate fertilizer trials being 

 conducted, of which 208 were made with different fertilizers for small grains, 

 root crops, potatoes, and hay crops, and 25 with sodium and calcium nitrates 

 for spring grains, ruta-bagas, and sugar beets. The value of the two fertilizers 

 differed but slightly in the case of the grains, but the sodium nitrate produced 

 somewhat better results than the calcium nitrate with both ruta-bagas and with 

 sugar beets. 



Investigations relative to the use of nitrogenous materials, 1898-1907, 

 E. B. Vooriiees and J. G. Lipman (New Jersey Stas. Bui. 221, pp. 3-52, dgm. 

 1). — The data accumulated in these experiments during 10 years are discussed 

 under the following heads: "(1) The yields of dry matter and of nitrogen in 

 the cylinder soils; (2) the pi'opoi'tionate amounts of nitrogen in the crops as 

 affected by fertilization; (3) the utilization of nitrogen in different nitrogenous 

 materials; (4) the relative efficiency of the nitrogen in different materials; (5) 

 the residual effect of nitrogenous substances; (6) denitrification ; (7) the effect 

 of special treatment on the income and outgo of nitrogen in the soil." 



As explained in previous accounts (E. S. R., 19, p. 626), these experiments 

 have been conducted in galvanized iron cylinders open at both ends and sunk 

 nearly to their tops in the soil. The soil used was the Penn loam typical of a 

 large' area in New Jersey and well adapted to the growth of cereals and grasses. 

 The nitrogenous fertilizing materials used included " sodium nitrate, ammonium 

 sulphate, dried blood, and four grades of cow manure — solid excreta, fresh ; 

 solid and liquid excreta, fresh ; solid excreta, leached ; solid and liquid excreta, 

 leached." The crops grown in the experiments have included corn, oats, wheat, 

 and timothy, with an intercrop of millet. 



Full data are given for the yields of nitrogen and dry matter for each crop 

 during the period of the experiment, as well as estimates of the proportion of 

 nitrogen applied in the fertilizing materials recovered in the crops. Averaging 

 the results for the whole ])eriod it was found that "(1) the fresh manures were, 

 on the average, utilized better than the leached manures; (2) the solid, fresh, 

 was utilized to a slighter extent than either of the leached manures; (3) the 

 solid and liquid, fresh, was utilized to better advantage than the solid, fresh; 

 (4) thQ solid and liquid, leached, was utilized to better advantage than the 

 solid, leached; (5) the larger application of nitrate was utilized to about the 

 same extent as the smaller application; (6) in the presence of 10 gm. of nitrate. 



