SOILS FERTILIZERS. 723 



Abs., 2 (1908), No. 1, p, JGO; liul. ,S'oe. Chim. France, J,, scr., J, (1908), No. 1, p. 

 55). — The relative advantages of various added materials as means of increas- 

 ing the absorjition of nitrogen by the carbid are briefly discussed. 



Absorption was found to be greatly accelerated by oxygen-free calcium com- 

 pounds of low fusion points and by compounds of other metals which form with 

 the calcium of the carbid compounds of low fusion point. " With 10 per cent of 

 calcium chlorid the absorption of nitrogen by calcium carbid is easily recogniz- 

 able at 500°, at 700° it is quite intense, and at 800° it is violent." 



On lime nitrogen, II, G. Bredig, W. Fraenkel, and E. Wilke (Ztscin: Elck- 

 trochem., 13 (1907), No. 36, pp. 605-612; abs. in. 8ci. Abs., Sect. A—Phys., 10 

 (1907), No. 119, p. 6!i5). — In continuation of previous investigations (E. S. R., 

 19, p. 124) the authors studied in some detail the catalytic action of various 

 materials on the fixation of nitrogen by calcium carbid. 



Among substances experimented with were lithium, sodium, potassium, beryl- 

 lium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and aluminium chlorids; calcium 

 fluorid ; lime ; magnesia ; sodium hydroxid ; calcium, sodium, and magnesium sul- 

 phates ; tricalcium phosphate, and sodium carbonate, singly and combined. The 

 chlorids were most effective, efficiency decreasing with increasing atomic weights 

 of the elements. 



The conclusion is drawn that of the various hypotheses advanced to explain 

 the beneficial action of adding various substances, the solution theory alone is 

 supported by the results obtained iu these experiments. The results, however, 

 do not substantiate the view that the relative action of the added materials is 

 determined by their melting points. The whole mixture must be considered as 

 well as the solubility of the carbid in the mixtiire. The rate of fixation under 

 otherwise similar conditions was dependent in these experiments upon the 

 pressure of the nitrogen gas. 



On fertilizer experiments with lime nitrogen, nitrogen lime, and lime niter, 

 Steglich (Abs. in Ztsclir. Anijcir. Clicni., 20 (1907), No. 39, p. 1686). — This is 

 a brief note on a paper read at the seventy-ninth meeting of (ierman Naturalists- 

 and Physicians at Dresden, reporting pot and field experiments with these three 

 materials in comparison with nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia. 



The pot experiments gave inconclusive results. In the. field experiments lime 

 niter stood next to nitrate of soda in effectiveness, but lime nitrogen and nitro- 

 gen lime were superior to ammonium sulphate if applied 8 to 14 days before 

 seeding. They, however, lose considerable amounts of nitrogen on exposure to 

 the air. An objection to lime niter as compared with nitrate of soda is its 

 greater hygroscopicity. 



Comparative fertilizer tests of lime nitrogen, nitrogen lime, and other 

 nitrogenous fertilizers for oats, lettuce, and kohl-rabi. Otto (Abs. in Ztschr. 

 Angew. Chcm., 20 (1907), No. 39, p. 1686). — A brief note on tests reported iu a 

 paper before the seventy-ninth meeting of German Naturalists and Physicians 

 at Dresden, in which the results were in general much the same as those of 

 Steglich noted above. For lettuce and kohl-rabi the nitrogen lime and lime 

 nitrogen were decidedly superior to nitrate of soda. 



Fertilizer experiments with nitrogen lime, A. Stutzer (III us. Landw. Ztg., 

 27 (1907). \o. 7,S', PI). 6SI, 6'.S'.>; abs. in ('hem. Abs., 2 (1908), No. 6, p. 879).— 

 This is a brief report of experiments on barley and oats under very unfavorable 

 weather conditions during 1907. On the basis of nitrate of soda as 100, the 

 nitrogen lime showed a fertilizing value of 76 on barley grown on dry soils, 85.8 

 on wet soils, and 81.0 on oats, giving an average under all conditions of SO. The 

 unfavorable seasonal conditions consisted of a late, very short, and dry spring 

 and very rainy summer with little sunshine and high winds. 



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