218 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A preliminary report on the phosphates of "Wisconsin soils, A. R, Whitson 

 (Rpt. Conserv. Com. Wis., 1 {1909), pp. 5 'i -63). —This article discusses the dis- 

 tribution of phosphoric acid in different types of Wisconsin soils as well as the 

 influence of continuous grain growing and special crop (tobacco) farming on 

 the phosphorus content of soils. 



It is very clearly shown that in a comparatively short time many of the soils 

 will be depleted of their phosphoric acid. Where clay loam soils are cultivated 

 continuously to grain relatively little phosphoric acid is lost from the soil 

 except that removed by the crop, but even in this way a considerable proportion 

 of the phosphoric acid will be lost in one or two generations. 



It was found that while continuous tobacco growing removes large amounts of 

 nitrogen and potash and relatively small amounts of phosphoric acid, there is 

 no accumulation of phosphoric acid in the surface S in. of soil. Continuous 

 cropping without manure for a considerable number of years tends to produce 

 acid soils, a condition which indicates a deficiency in available phosphate. At- 

 tention is also called to the considerable losses of phosphorus occurring in 

 manures in storage and resulting from hillside erosion. 



The conservation of phosphates on Wisconsin farms, A. R. Whitson and 

 C. W. Stoudakt (Wisco)isiii »S7«. Bui. 11. ), pp. 3-20, figs. .5).— This l)ulletin 

 points out the fact that the importance of phosphates to the agriculture of Wis- 

 consin has not l)een sufficiently recognized by farmers; gives data showing the 

 amount of phosphates removed from farms in grain, milk, cheese, and live stock 

 sold and In the manure which is allowed to go to waste; and reports experi- 

 ments on old exhausted soils of different kinds which showed that the application 

 of 300 lbs. per acre of acid phosphate as a rule greatly increased the yield. 



Experiments are also I'eported to show that even new lands are often deficient 

 in available i)li()sphate. Acidity is usually an indication of the need of phos- 

 phatic fertilizers. Rock phosphate supplementing manure was found to increase 

 yields to a marked degree. 



It is pointed out that there are two methods of maintaining the supply of 

 phosi)hates in the soil, namely, " the purchase of feeding stuffs containing phos- 

 phates and the purchase of phosphate fertilizers. By buying bran for feeding 

 purposes phosphates may be maintained on dairy farms. By the purchase of 

 fertilizers the phosphates of the soil may be absolutely maintained. The most 

 important phosphate fertilizers for Wisconsin farms are ground steamed bone 

 meal, raw rock phosphate, and acid phosphate, all of which can be obtained at 

 moderate cost." 



Soil survey work in South Carolina (Ann. Rpt. Comr. Agr., Com. and Immig. 

 *S'. C, 5 (1 90S), pp. 7 J:.'-i ///).— This is a summary of the work done by the Bu- 

 reau of Soils of this Department in this State, including 11 soil surveys aggre- 

 gating up to June 30, 190S, G,343 sq. miles or 4,059,520 acres. 



Soils (Dcpt. Agr. Trinidad, Bui. Agr. Inform., 1909, n. ser., No. 61, pp. 

 27-32). — This article gives the results of examinations of a rich peaty lagoon 

 soil and of a soil on which sugar cane was badly diseased with blight, as well 

 as a short treatise on the drainage of soils. The lagoon soil was found to be 

 especially rich in phosphoric acid (0.117 per cent in surface soil and 0.104 in 

 subsoil), organic matter, and nitrogen (1.31 per cent in surface soil and 1.34 

 in subsoil). The soil on which cajie blight prevailed was found to contain 

 more magnesia (0.52 per cent) than lime (0.34 per cent). 



The genesis of loess a problem in plant ecology, B. Shimek (Proc. Iowa 

 Acad. Sci., 15 (1908), pp. 57-6Jf). — "It is the purpose of this paper to briefly 

 set forth a preliminary statement of the relation of plants to the formation of 

 loess, and to call attention to the fact that the investigation of the problem of 

 the genesis of loess lies within the province of the plant ecologist, for the study 



