FEKTILTZERS. 



209 



The method of iiiialysis; used was briefly as follows: 



" Teu grams (if mail was treated with strong hydrochloric acid, the digestion being 

 continued for about 30 minutes at boiling temperature. Lime was determined in 

 the extract T)y the Iinmeudorff permanganate method; the insoluble residue was 

 dried in a platinum gooch, weighed, incinerated, and again weighed. Phosphoric 

 acid and potash were determined in the acid extract and nitrogen in the original 

 substance." 



Fertilizer experiments conducted at the Royal Sw^edish Agri- 

 cultural Academy during 1895, L. T. Xilson {K(/L Landt. Alad. 

 Handl., 3~) {li'^ixj), j)p. lii-si;). — The experiments were eoiidncted with 

 sugar heets and barley grown in marsli soil, the object being to study 

 tlie effects of potassic or phosphoric acid fertilize'S on the growth aud 

 comi)Osition of these crops. The soil used in the experiments was from 

 a marsh on the Island of Gotland, and contained 5 to 10 per cent of 

 lime in the dry substance and 4 to 5 percent of nitrogen in the organic 

 matter of the soil. The crops were grown under three different condi- 

 tions: (1) In glass cylinders, SO by 27 cm. and with a surface of 572 

 sq. cm.; (2) in cement-lined boxes placed in the ground, 1 square meter 

 surface, arranged to be watered from below; (3) in zinc boxes, also 

 placed iTi the ground, with a surface area of 0.3 square meter. 



In the potash experiments with sugar beets a basal fertilizer at the 

 rate per acre of 178.2 lbs. of i>hosphoric acid (in the form of Thomas 

 slag) an<l 21.3 lbs. nitrogen (in the form of nitrate of soda) was applied. 

 The beets grown were of the Klein wanzleben variety. The fol]o\ying 

 main average results were obtained : 



I'uiaslt t'jjjerimrnts with sinjar heeta (jroivn in mdrsh xoil. 



No. of 

 trials. 



Potash (KjO) applied per hectare. 



Glass cyliiider.s. 572 sq. em. .surface, 1 beet : 



JNone 



200 to 400 kg. in form of sulphate 



20U to 400 kg. in form of muriate 



Cement-lined boxes, 1 scjuare meter surface, 25 beets 



Koue 



300 to 400 ky. in form of sulphate 



300 to 400 kg. in form of muriate 



Zinc boxes, 0.3 s<iiiare meter surface. 6 beets: 



None - 



200 to 400 kg. in form of sulphate 



200 to 400 kg. in form of muriate 



The muriate applied contained 47 i)er cent chlorin. The results show 

 that the muriate and sulphate were equally effective on beets under the 

 conditions of these exi)erimencs, viz, on a light soil poor in potash and 

 l)hosi)horic acid, but rich in lime and nitrogen. This is contrary to 

 general opinion, but the author ])elieves that where data pointing iu 

 the opposite direction have been obtained, as for example in the series 

 of experiments conducted by Petermann at Gembloux, Uelgium, dur- 

 ing 1883-84, 1887, and 1888-S;), the results obtained with different 

 forms of potassic fertilizers are either within the limits of experimental 



