832 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



On the influence of frost on cultivated soils, E. Woixny ( Fiihling's Landir. Ztg., 

 47 (1S9S), No. 17, pp. 631-636; 18, pp. 075-681; 19, pp. 700-711; 20, pp. 749-756).— A 

 general discussion of this subject based largely upon the author's extended studies. 



Is a lack of lime general in Rhode Island soils? H. J. Wheeler and G. E. 

 'Adams {Rhode Inland Sta. Bui. 49, pp. 37-48). — This is a brief summary of experi- 

 ments with lime during a number of years on a variety of crops and at different 

 points in Rhode Island. The results indicate the wide distribution in the State of 

 soils which are benefited by applications of lime. It was found that beets " furnish 

 an unusually good crop for testing soils as to their lime requirements." 



Comparative trials of lime -worked into the soil before seeding and applied 

 as a top-dressing after-wards, II. J. Wheeler and J. A. Tillinghast (Rhode Island 

 Sta. Bui. 49, pp. 4S-50). — From the results of experiments made at the station on 

 timothy " it seems that the recommendation to lime land before seeding is one that 

 shonld be adhered to if the best results are to be obtained.'' 



FERTILIZERS. 



The fertilizing value of street sweepings, E. E. Ewell (U. 8. 

 Dept. Agr., Division of Chemistry Bui. 55, pp. 19). — This bulletin sum- 

 marizes data regarding- disposal of street sweepings in 204 out of the 

 354 cities and towns of the United States having 10,000 or more inhab- 

 itants, as furnished by replies to circulars of inquiry sent to officials in 

 charge of street-cleaning departments. "The total quantity of street 

 sweepings annually collected may be estimated at not far from 3,000,000 

 tons. ... In general terms it may be stated that the cities represent- 

 ing one-fourth of the urban population of the country make an effort to 

 utilize the fertilizing value of some portion of their street sweepings." 



Analyses of 18 samples of sweepings collected in Washington, D. C, 

 are reported. In these the nitrogen varied from 0.17 to 1.18 per cent, 

 phosphoric acid from 0.01 to 0.1G per cent, and potash from 0.00 to 0.5 

 per cent. Extracts from letters from farmers and gardeners who have 

 used street sweepings are quoted to show " that well-selected and judi- 

 ciously used street sweepings possess considerable manurial value." 



Valuing nitrogen at 10 cts. per pound and disregarding phosphoric 

 acid and potash, the poorest sample of sweepings examined would be 

 worth 34 cts. per ton; the richest, $1.46. 



Contribution to the study of street dust as a fertilizer, A. ( asali 

 (Contributo alio studio pratico della polvere di strada come materia 

 ammendante e eoncimante, Bologna, Societa Tipografica gia Compositori, 

 1899, pp. 23; Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital., 31 (1898), pp. 377-396; abs. in Ghem. 

 Centbl., 1898, II, No. 22, p. 1106). — This article discusses the formation, 

 composition, properties, fermentation, and uses of street dust, and 

 reports results of analyses of a few samples. The composition of the 

 substance examined was as follows: Moisture 1.20, nitrogen 0.05 (traces 

 in form of ammonia and nitric acid), potash 0.16, lime 22.34, phosphoric 

 acid 0.09, carbon dioxid 17.33, and silica 40.44 per cent. Of the mate- 

 rial, 15.9 per cent was soluble in 5 per cent acetic acid, 30 per cent in 

 25 per cent hydrochloric acid, and 0.4 per cent in boiling water. It lost 

 33.5 per cent on calcination. 



