SOILS FERTILIZERS. 919 



[Sewage disposal at Notting'hani, England) {Marie Lane Express, 07 

 (1007), A (>. 3U7S, {). 763). — A brief accdinii is lu'iv given of the m.-inagement of 

 the sewage farms, comprising an area of over LSOO acres, of the city of Notting- 

 ham. On tliese farms the system of broad irrigation is practiced, and by means 

 of an elaborate system of luiderdraining from 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 gals, of 

 sewage is handled every 24 hours, the land being treated continuously for 12 

 hours at a time. About 1,000 acres of the land is under cultivation, the princi 

 pal crops grown being wheat, oats, rye, kohl-rabi, and cabbage, some of the lat- 

 ter reaching enormous size. The soil for the most part is of a sandy character 

 with gravelly subsoil and good natural drainage. It is stated that the annual 

 returns from these farms are about .i;i1L02;».,^(0. 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



The composition and properties of some Texas soils, G. S. Fraps {Texas 

 Sta. Bui. 99, PI). 50, figs. 20). — This bulletin reports the results of a systematic 

 examination of definite areas and types of Texas soils which has been carried 

 on for several years largely in cooperation with the Bureau of Soils of this 

 Department. " In addition to the chemical analyses, tests for deficiencies were 

 made by pot experiments on some of the soils, and some were also treated 

 with solvents to determine the active plant food present." The analytical data 

 are accompanied by discussions of the general principle of soil fertility, the 

 causes of small crops, the means of maintaining and increasing soil fertility, 

 and the properties and deficiencies of the soils studied. The analyses re- 

 ported include 8 samples of the Norfolk series, 9 of the Orangeburg series, 8 of 

 the Houston series, 4 of the Lufkin series, 3 of the Susquehanna series, and 2 

 of the Yazoo series. 



"It appears that the different groups of soils have definite chemical char- 

 acteristics, which are related to their productiveness. The Norfolk soils con- 

 tain less plant food and are less productive than the corresponding Orange- 

 burg soils. The Houston and Yazoo soils, which are very productive, are well 

 supplied with plant food and lime. The Susquehanna and Lufkin soils, which 

 have low crop values, are low in plant food. The individual soils in the series 

 vary to some extent, as may be expected, but the group characteristics gen- 

 erally prevail." 



The soils are considered collectively and also witli reference to their distri- 

 bution by counties, the counties represented being Houston, Anderson, Lamar, 

 Travis, Bexar, and Hays. 



Among the physical and chemical causes of low crop yields considered are 

 acidity, alkali, deficiency in active plant food, in active lime, and in organic 

 matter. While it is maintained that chemical analysis may be of great value 

 in determining the fertility of soils, it is pointed out that analysis must be 

 considered in connection with other factors which influence fertility. In the 

 author's opinion "chemical analysis with strong acids gives information in 

 regard to the strength and wearing qualities of the soil, and is of moi-e per- 

 manent value than estiniation of the active plant food, because the amount 

 of the latter may change from year to year. Pot experiments give information 

 in regard to the immediate needs of the soil for plant food." In the pot 

 experiments made to test the innnediate needs of the soils for phosphoric 

 acid, potash, and nitrogen, it was found that the soils in almost all cases re- 

 sponded to phosphoric acid, very often to nitrogen, and not very often to 

 potash. 



