422 ■ EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



He concludes that the most beneficial effect on the bacterial activity of the 

 soil is brought about in practice by frequent small applications of manure 

 rather than by large applications at longer intervals, the action of the manure 

 being assisted by thorough aeration of the soil by cultivation, drainage, etc. 



On the action of barnyard manure, J. Stoklasa (lUtis. Laiulw. Ztg., 27 

 (1907), ^^o. .1,7, pp. 425-ff27; -',8, pp. J,33-.i36) .—Thin is an abstract of a paper 

 presented at the International Congress of Agriculture in A'ienna, and presents 

 in a popular way the well-known views of the author regarding the relation of 

 manuring to bacterial activity in the soil. (See p. 421.) 



The world's production and consumption of mineral fertilizers, L. Gran- 

 DEAU (L'Agriculture ct les Institutions AgrlcoJes du Monde au Commencement 

 du XX<^ Siecle. Paris, 1906, Vol. J,, pp. 277-327, figs. 2).— This comprises chap- 

 ters 55 to 59 of the fourth volume of the author's report on agriculture and 

 agricultural institutions of the world at the beginning of the twentieth century, 

 based upon the Paris Exj»osition of 19(X). The subjects discussed are the origin 

 of mineral fertilizers and the increased yield due to their use. the production 

 and use of Aarious kinds of phosphatic, potassic, and nitrogenous fertilizers 

 being considered in detail. 



History of the fertilizer industry, \V. D. Rhea {Tradesman, 57 {1907), 

 No. 10, pp. 57. 5S). — This is a brief note on the origin and present status of the 

 industry in general, but dealing more particularly with the fertilizer business of 

 Nashville, Teun. 



The total fertilizer production of the United States is placed at 4,000,000 

 tons annually, valued at over $60,000,(K)0. It is estimated that Nashville has 

 $3,000,000 invested in the fertilizer business. 



Phosphate production in 1906 {U. K. GcoJ. Surrrii. Press Bui. 295, folio). — 

 This is ail advance notice of the chapter of MineraJ Resources of the Ignited 

 States for 11X)G, on phosi)hate production in the I'nited States. 



It is stated that *' of the 2,080,957 long tons of phosphate marketed in the 

 United States in 1906 (valued at $8,579,437), Florida produced 1.304,505 long 

 tons, valued at $5,585,578; the Tennessee production was 547,677 long tons, 

 valued at $2,147,991 ; and South Carolina's production amounted to 223,675 

 long tons, valued at $817,068. Other States, including Arkansas and Idaho, 

 produced 5.100 tons, valued at $28,800." 



The demand for iihosphate in recent years has grown more rapidly than 

 the output, resulting in a rise of prices. It is suggested that under these 

 conditions of growing demand and higher prices it is not improbable that 

 many low-grade deposits which it has hitherto been impracticable to utilize 

 may be profitably worked. Reference is made to recently discovered deposits 

 in Tennessee, T'tah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Arkansas. 



The third German potash congress, Weiskopf {ZtscJtr. Angew. Chem., 20 

 {1907), No. 25, pp. 1025-1062, figs. 2). — This is an account of the proceedings 

 of a meeting of chemists and others Interested in the potash industry at 

 Hildesheim May 4-5, 1907. The more important subjects considered were a 

 report on the basis for a scientific development of the North German potash 

 deposits, including investigations on the solubility of salt mixtures and on the 

 formation and transformation of salts, and physical and mineralogical inves- 

 tigations: the drainage water question in the potash industry; and the 

 industrial analysis of potash salts. 



Problems of applied chemistry, G. Lunge {Chem. News, 95 {1907), Nos. 

 2470, pp. 151-153; 2f,71, pp. 159-162; 21)72, pp. 172-175).— Among the most 

 important problems of applied chemistry referred to in this article is the 

 artificial production of fertilizers, more particularly the production of nitroge- 

 nous compounds from the free nitrogen of the air. The relative cost and 



