302 



To study questions relating to the flocculation of soils, settling 

 experiments were made with clays and with soils. "For this purpose 

 beakers 5 cm, in diameter were employed. Five grams of soil or clay 

 were taken, and for the jmrposeof removinji the coarsest sand it was x>ut 

 through a sieve with O.L'.j mm. holes. The beakers were then filled with 

 water to a deptli of 4 cm. After thorough stirring there was noted 

 (1) the time required for the soil or clay to settle, (2) the condition of the 

 sediment after a given lapse of time." The results are stated in tables. 

 The clays, ^vith the exception of one which more nearly resemble<l 

 anatmal soil in its mechanical composition, were very tlocciilciit and 

 settled rajndly. Tlie sediment remained in a loose mass, whii-h did not 

 become compact and tii ni even after incmths' standing. 'As reganls 

 the soils, it was observed that in nearly all cases the snbsoil was more 

 flocculent than the surface soil, and that the traj) soils were, as a rule, 

 more flocculent than the others exuMiinetl. 



Tiiis tondcucy of thi' tr.ip-rock soils to Hmciil.itc is iindoiibtcdly :i rodfoniin;; 

 feature, as the good and poor soils bidonning to the rod shale and Tertiary areas do 

 not apj>ear to show this differejiei-. 



It woiilil ajij>ear, therefore, tliat the very line-jraineil soils naturally teml to lloeen- 

 late. AVhat breaks up the lloceuhs at the surface is not so clear, wiiether tin- action 

 of the frost or the nieclianical action of tlie plow, or whether it is )irodu<-cd by the 

 action of chemical agents. Tlie effect of free anniionia (used experimentally l<y the 

 antlior to l>reak up llocciihrsj would .seem to iu'licate that the last is an elVectivc 

 cause, as free ammonia is generally present in soils. This suggests that the too free 

 use of .-inimouia-forming fertilizers, iis of manure, may vt-ry po.ssildy have the effe»t 

 of rendering the soil heavy by breaking up the tloc<'ules. On the other hand, the 

 well-known action of lime ou heavy soils is to make the soil light by assisting in the 

 formation of floccules. 



Report of Biolooist, J. Ni:lsox, Ph. D. (pp. lMU-.'{l'(>). — A «letaih'd 

 account of laboratory exi)eriments in ostreaculture by the anthor in 

 the summer of 1S'.K» at the station, and at Key Tort and Oceanic, New 

 Jersey. The ri'port includes a description of the lab(»i;itorv ecpiipmenl 

 aiul of the artificial sea water u.sed; a list of questions m ostreacultnre, 

 which the author's exiierieiice shows to be proper subjects for iuvestiga 

 tion; an explanation of the methods of experiment ingemi>loyed, and of 

 the terms used in the tabnlated recoid; tabulated data for obser\ations 

 on a considerable nundnr of oysters; a calendar giving thedates ami the 

 tenqu'iature of the air in the laborat<try for each set of experim<'nts; 

 a detailed record of experiments with the germ cells of the oyster; tables 

 of the temperatnre of tlie water in or near oyster beds at Oceanic, Key 

 Port, and Perth Aml)ov, Mew Jersey, for several month.s. as collated by 

 volunteer observers; a discussion of the experiments, and observations 

 under the following heads: Submarine climate, reiu'titive spawning, 

 the effects of imstmarinal age, viability of the siH-rmatozoa and of the 

 eggs, effect of solutions of different strengths, effect of temperatnre 

 and saltness, dispersal of spawn, optimal saltness, acceleration of devel- 

 opment, parasites, "iniidiling" of oysters, spawning oysters as food^ 



