FERTILIZERS. 425 



10 per cent hydrochloric acid, but succeeded in removing only a small proportion of 

 the nitrogenous substances present, thus showing that amids are not present to 

 any great extent, as is commonly supposed. It was also found that natural humus 

 compound prepared from peat, as well as artificial humus prepared from pure sugar, 

 yielded furfurol when heated with hydrochloric acid. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Experiments -with lime on acid soils, F. S. Earle and A. W. 

 Ore {Alabama College Sta. Bui. 92, pp. 107-112, Jig. 1). — A brief account 

 is given of experiments in the greenhouse and in the field on the effect 

 of lime on the Gulf sandy coast soils of Deer Park, Alabama. The 3 

 soils used in the greenhouse experiments were (1) ordinary upland soil 

 of the coast region, quite sandy and rather deficient in humus; (2) 

 so-called "Savannah land,"' a light gray saudy loam, usually too wet 

 for cultivation without drainage; (3) stiff black soil from a swampy 

 hammock — the low lying timber lands along small streams. The 3 

 samples represent the prevailing types of coast soils. All of them 

 gave a prompt and decided acid reaction witli litmus paper. 



"A portion of each lot [of soil] was fertilized with cotton-seed meal and placed in 

 a shallow box, 20 by 3(5 in., having a partition dividing it into 2 equal parts. On 

 one side of the partition in each box a quantity of slacked lime was dug into the 

 soil, the other side being left without linie. The boxes were watered and left on 

 the greenhouse bench till January 1. On again testing with litmus paper, the limed 

 ends of the boxes now gave a strong alkaline reaction. The boxes were planted to 

 American Wonder peas. It soon became evident that too much lime had been used, 

 for after coming up, the peas in the limed ends of the boxes all died. They did not 

 seem able to strike root in the soil. The boxes were replanted at intervals, but 

 without success, until about the middle of March, when they were planted to lettuce 

 and radishes. On April 2 it was noted that at last a good stand had been secured 

 in 2 of the limed boxes. The one containing the upland soil was still a complete 

 failure. In box No. 3, with the hammock soil, the lettuce was decidedly best in the 

 limed end; no difference could be noted in the radishes. In box No. 2, the Savannah 

 soil, the lettuce was at least 3 times as large in the limed end, while the radishes 

 seemed hardly so good with the lime. The radishes continued to grow luxuriantly 

 in both ends of both boxes, but at maturity they were slightly better in each case 

 in the limed ends. With the lettuce the difference was very marked. In the unlimed 

 ends of both boxes it was stunted and sickly, with leaves less than 2 in. long, but 

 in the limed ends it grew rank and luxuriant." 



Experiments were made in the field on upland soil at Deer Park with 

 peas, corn, German millet, tomatoes, beans, rutabagas, lettuce, egg- 

 plant, sorghum, peanuts, tobacco, okra, potatoes, flax, Kafir corn, and 

 encumbers. The soil was limed at rates of from 15 to 45 bill, per acre. 

 For various reasons the results with the majority of the crops were 

 inconclusive. Corn, tomatoes, lettuce, and tobacco, were, however, 

 strikingly benefited by liming. It was noted that the tomatoes on the 

 heavily limed plat were free from blight or bacteriosis. 



On the influence of crops and manure on the nitrogen content 

 of soils, 0. F. A. Tuxen ( TidssJer. Phys. <>g ('Item.. 2 ( 18.98), p. 168 : abs. in 

 Chem. Ztg., 22 (1898), No. 71, Repert., p. 219). — The experiments made by 



