WATER SOILS. 



225 



The summaries of observations at Berkeley for the years ending June 

 30, 1896, and June 30, 1897, are as follows: 



Meteorological summaries for 1S96 and 1897. 



Pressure (inches) : 



Mean 30. 048 



Highest 30.533 (Dec. 30) 



Lowest 29. 701 (Apr. 23) 



Temperature (degrees F.)': 



Mean of the year 53. 6 



Maximum 92. 5 ( May 2(5) 



Minimum 34 (Dec. 22, Mar. :s, 4) 



Precipitation (inches) : 



Total rainfall 28. 713 



Dew and fog 0. 035 



Humidity (percent): 



Mean 83.2 



Maximum 98 (May 11) 



Minimum . _ 32 (Nov. 16) 



Number of clear days 202 



Number of fair days 70 



Numher of cloudy days 91 



Number of foggy days 108 



Number of days' on which rain fell 03 



30. 034 



30. 399 (Jan. 2, Feb. 23) 



29. 466 (Feb. 18) 



5:;. 9 



'.'1 (May 19) 



33.7 (Nov. 27) 



28. 944 

 0.080 



i 86.1 



i 99 (Oct. 5, Apr. 7, May 7) 



| 51 (Oct. 18, 22) 



1 145 



1 106 



114 



67 



71 



Meteorological record for 1896 {New York State Sta. Ilpt. 1S96, pp. 695-711).— 

 Tabulated daily and monthly summaries of observations on sunshine and temper- 

 ature and a monthly summary of observations on precipitation for the period from 

 1882 to 1896. 



The practical importance of agricultural-meteorological observations and 

 brief instructions for carrying them out, P. I. Brouxov (Ept. Met. Bureau Sci. 

 Committee Min. Agr. and Gov. Estates. St. Petersburg, 1897, pp. 137, Jigs. 25; dbs. in 

 Selsk. Khoz. i Lyesov., 186 (1897), July, pp.239, MO). 



WATER— SOILS. 



Alkali and alkali soils, R. H. Loughiiidge {California Sta. Ept. 

 1895-1897, pp. 38-53). — The causes of failure of gypsum to correct alkali 

 in certain cases are discussed. Three of the principal causes are noted : 

 (1) Ignorance of the character of the alkali, gypsum being ineffective 

 on white alkali; (2) the impurity of the gypsum used; (3) insufficient 

 applications of gypsum. Theoretically the amount of gypsum applied 

 should be about one-third more in weight than the amount of carbonate 

 of soda present in the alkali. In experiments it was found "(1) that 

 the amount of gypsum to be applied to alkali soils must be about 

 double that of the carbonate of soda present; (2) that the effect is 

 then apparent within 2 or 3 days ; and (3) that the effect is probably per- 

 manent in the conversion of the carbonate of soda into the sulphate." 



The results of examinations of alkali soils used for experiments with 

 various plants at Tulare and Southern California substations are 

 reported in detail. From the data thus secured the following prelimi- 

 nary statement as to the ability of different crops to withstand the 

 various salts contained in alkali has been prepared. 



