SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 217 



from different parts of tlic L>t:ile are reported and briefly discussed. The soils 

 examined are classed as market-garden soils, cucumber soils, asparagus soils, 

 tobacco and onion soils, rose soils, dvumiin soils, and miscellaneous, including 

 especially various samples from different i)arts of the experiment station farm. 

 Does the northern forest dry the soil? D. Kravchinskii {Lycsoprom. 

 ]'i/cstink, 1906. yo. JO; abs. in Zliur. OiJuitn. Agiou. (Russ. Jour. E.ri)t. Landir.). 

 S (1907), -Yo. 1. pp. 12, 73). — ^The author gives a table of determinations of 

 moisture on meadow, pine woods, and fir woods down to a depth of 1 meter. The 

 samples were taken once on August 0. Notwithstanding the fact that the 

 meadow was found to be more moist than the pine woods by 2..1 per cent and 

 than the fir woods by 5.85 per cent, the author arrives at the conclusion that it 

 is not iHJssible to say that the northern forest dries the soil, since it must be 

 remembered that the crowns cf the pines retain about 2:> per cent and those 

 of the firs up to 41 per cent of the amount of the precipitated rainfall. — p. 



FIREMAN. 



Root action and bacteria, E. .J. RrssELL (Xatirre [London'\. 16 (1901), Xo. 

 196-'i. p. 113). — Experiments by the author and others are cited to show that 

 heating the soil promotes the growth of many plants in a soil not deficient in 

 calcium carbonate and increases the assimilation of organic and inorganic con- 

 stituents. It is suggested that the injurious effect observed by Pi.ckering 

 (E. S. R., 19, p. 127) may be due to a deficiency of calcium carbonate in the 

 heated soil. 



Progress of the inoculation experiments, D. Fixlayson {Country Life 

 [London'\, 21 {1901), Xo. 5^. pp. 191-199, figs. S).— The beneficial effects in the 

 early stages of growth of inoculation with Professor Bottomley's cultures for 

 horse beans, alfalfa, sweet peas, and garden peas are noted and the influences 

 of inoculation in increasing the nitrogen content of legumes, as well as the 

 possibility of cross inoculations, are discussed. 



On the question of nitrogen fixation in cultivated soils, F. Lohnis (Mitt. 

 Landir. Inst. Breslau. '/ (1901). Xo. 1-2. pp. 39-.'i6). — This is a controversial 

 article referring to previous articles by Pfeiffer (E. S. R., IG, p. 858; 18, p. G17). 



The present status of the nitrogen problem, A. F. Woods ( U. 8. Drpt. Agr. 

 Yearbook 1906. pp. 125-136). — This article reviews recent progress in investiga- 

 tions relating to the directly available nitrogen content of soils, the decay of 

 organic matter, fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria, root-nodule 

 bacteria, and the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere by electrical methods. 



Special attention is given to methods of inoculation, and the c-onclusion is 

 drawn that " pure-culture inoculation must eventually mainly replace the soil- 

 transfer methods for all kinds of soil indculation, but this has not yet been put 

 on a practical basis for any except the nodule bacteria. The improved cultural 

 and selection methods introduced by this Department in the practical handling 

 of these forms have brought within reach of every farmer who may need them 

 !iure cultures of the most virile, vigorous, and best types of root-nodule bacteria 

 for each particulai- leguminous crop. It requires care and skill, however, to 

 make and keep these cultures in good condition. For lack of this, many who 

 have tried to make these cultures have failed." 



On the liming of beech, moorland, P. E. Muller and F. Weis (Xatiiru: 

 yjHchr. Land. u. Forstic, o (1901), Xos. 1, pp. 52-65; 3, pp. 154-110, figs. 2 : 

 }, pp. 185-202. figs. J,; 5, pp. 225-2/,9 ; Forsth Forsogsv., 1 (1906), Xo. 3: abs. 

 in Skog.<ivurdsf6r. Tidskr., 5 (1907). Xo. 1. pp. 27, 28). — A series of experiments 

 and observations is reported, whicli shows that liming of moor soils favors 

 nitrification and the formation of nitrogen compounds which promote the growth 

 <if higher plants. 



