940 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



On the action of burnt lime and marl on sandy soils, B. Tacke, 

 H. Immendorff, A. Salfeld, and F. Wolff (Landw. Jahrb., 27 

 (1898), Sup. 4, pp. 131-450). — Experiments in the laboratory, green- 

 house, and field tend to show that fall applications of burnt lime may 

 injuriously affect the growth of leguminous plants by the impoverish- 

 ment of the soil in assimilable nitrogen. The lime, however, did not 

 appear to affect injuriously the root tubercle organisms applied in soil, 

 although on uninoculated soils the plants grew much better where marl 

 was applied than where burnt lime was used. This is believed to be 

 due to the fact that the marl contained the root tubercle organisms in 

 considerable amount. 



Field experiments on upland moor soils and moor meadows 

 by the Moor Experiment Station at Bremen during 1892-1897, 

 B. Tacke, F. Gaaz, and H. Menkhaus (Landw. Jahrb., 27 (1898), 

 Sup. 4, pp. 1-258, pis. 4). — These include experiments with different 

 crops and with different combinations of fertilizers, the use of sand on 

 upland moors, comparison of barnyard manure and commercial fertil- 

 izers on untreated upland moors, drainage to different depths, and 

 applications of calcareous manures. 



In experiments with different forms and amounts of phosphoric acid, 

 potash, and nitrogen on moor soils the best results were obtained on 

 the average from applications of 100 kg. per hectare of potash, 100 to 

 125 kg. of phosphoric acid, and 75 kg. of nitrogen. 



In comparative tests of Thomas slag, precipitated phosphate, and 

 Algerian phosphate on upland moors, the Algerian phosphate gave a 

 more profitable return than Thomas slag, especially when applied in 

 somewhat larger amounts (one-fourth more) than the latter on moor 

 soils recently brought under cultivation. 



In comparative tests of kainit, carnallit, and 38 per cent "manure 

 salt" on upland moor soils the use of concentrated manure salt was 

 found profitable, especially on potatoes, even when applied at the rate of 

 200 kg. per hectare in the spring, but carnallit and kainit applied in the 

 same way reduced both the yield and starch content of potatoes. The 

 reduction in starch content appeared to be due not to a lowering of 

 the percentage of starch in the dry matter, but, as a rule, to an increase 

 of water in the tuber. The injurious effect of the potash salts appeared 

 to be lessened by the application of basic substances, such as lime, 

 Thomas slag, etc. 



Experiments with varieties of potatoes, oats, and rye are reported, 

 but the results are either inconclusive or mainly of local interest. 



A series of experiments were made on upland moors, the surface 

 layers of which were mixed with a layer of sand 10 to 15 cm. thick. A 

 variety of crops were grown on the soil and they were invariably bene- 

 fited by the addition of the sand. In the case of cereals the increase 

 in the yield of straw was greater than that of grain. 



Comparative tests of barnyard manure and commercial fertilizers on 

 untreated upland moors gave inconclusive results. 



