526 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD, 



sold RS (1) liigli-srade cottou-seed meal c-oiitaiiiing at least G.IS per cent of 

 nitrogen, (2) standing grade cotton-seed meal containing at least 4.95 per cent 

 of nitrogen, and (3) off-grade cotton-seed meal containing less than 4.95 per cent 

 of nitrogen. The analyses reported show that only 2o sami)lt's, or 9.."> per cent 

 of the meals examined, contained a lower percentage of nitrogen than that 

 guaranteed by the manufacturer, the discrepancies being as a rule small. " The 

 results show, therefore, that farmers have very generally received meal prac- 

 tically as good or better in quality than that indicated by the guaranteed 

 analysis attached to each bag of meal sold in the State." 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers, C. S. Cathcaut, J. W. 

 KELLO(;(i. and V. .1. Carbkrky {Xcir Jcr.svn Htax. Bui. .idii, itp. JJ). — This bul- 

 letin contains analyses and valuations of 201 brands of fertilizers examined 

 during the season 1900-7, and also of 114 samples of fertilizer sui)plies, 9 home 

 mixtures, iuid 22 six'cial comiionnds. 



Commercial fertilizers and poisonous insecticides in 1906-7, G. S. Fraps 

 {Texas Sta. Bill. 96, pp. 24). — Analyses and valuations of 277 samples of fer- 

 tilizers examined during the year are reported, with explanations regarding 

 the methods of conducting the inspection and a brief discussion of the comixi- 

 sition, valuation, mixing, changes in storage, and application of fertilizers for 

 different cro])s, particularly cotton, corn. rice, and potatoes. Determinations 

 of water-soluble phosphoric acid in samples of 12 different brands of fertilizers 

 in 19(l."> and again in 1907 showed a decline in percentage of this constituent 

 during this i)eriod in almost every case, the average for the 12 sam))les in 1905 

 being 0.73 per cent and in 1907, 0.33 per cent. The amount of fertilizer sold in 

 Texas during" the year is given as 19.2CK) tons, not including cottou-seed meal. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Com.parative tolerance of various plants for the salts common in alkali 

 soils, T. H. Kearney and L. L. IIarter {U. 8. Dcpt. Ayr., Bur. Plant IikIiis. 

 Bui. lis. pp. 22). — In a previous publication (E. S. II., 13, p. 918) an account 

 was given of the results of experiments upon the toxicity, of certain salts of 

 magnesium and sodium to young seedlings of the white lupine and of alfalfa. 



In the present paper the results of experiments with single (pure) solutions 

 of sodium carbonate, chlorid, sulphate, and bicarbonate, and magnesium chlorid 

 and sulphate are given, in which their effects ui)on maize, 4 varieties of sor- 

 ghum, 2 varieties of oats, 2 species of cotton, and sugar beets are described. 

 Attention is called to the fact that these exi)eriments were carried on in water 

 cultures and that they are not directly comparable with the results which might 

 be obtained in soil cultures, as the physical factors of the soil would doubtless 

 modify the effect of the soluticms on the plants. 



It was found in general that different varieties of the same species differ 

 considerably in their powers of resistance to the action of magnesium and 

 sodium salts in pure solutions. Closely related species of the same genus also 

 showed similar differences, (ireat differences were found to exist between 

 different plant species in their resistance to pure salt solutions, not only as 

 regards the absolute toxicity of the salt, but also the relative order of the tox- 

 icity of the salts. Of the 8 species investigated, maize was found on the whole 

 to be the most resistant to pure solutions and cotton the least. Seedlings grown 

 from fresh seed were found to be more resistant than those developed from 

 older seed. 



In addition to experiments with the single salts, various combinations were 

 used. It was found that the presence of calcium sulphate in excess diminishes 

 the toxicity of magnesium and sodium salts to all the plants tested, the neutral- 



