22 . EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. IVol. 38 



indicated Veitch lime requirement. Ttie increase in bacteriological activities 

 with an increase in fineness of division of pulverized limestone may be cor- 

 related directly with the chemical factors involved, i. e., the rate of neutrali- 

 zation of acidity, etc., and also crop yield." 



With pots cropped to barley, buckwheat, and rape (twice) which had been 

 designed to permit the collection of drainage water, it was found that on a 

 light open sandy loam the highest yields were obtained from soils treated with 

 60 to 80 mesh limestone. Two-hundred-mesh limestone proved superior to 20- 

 mesh, but inferior to 60 to 80 mesh because the fine material was probably 

 washed down below the root zone. " These results were paralleled both in 

 the series with and without nitrogen, although the yields in the former case 

 were superior to those in the latter. However, the fine limestone without 

 nitrogen gave almost as high a yield in several instances as the coarse material 

 with an application of 660 lbs. of ammonium sulphate to the acre. The highest 

 average percentage of nitrogen, however, was obtained with 200-mesh limestone. 

 "An increase in the fineness of division of pulverized limestone was accom- 

 panied by a reduction in the lime requirement. An analysis of the drainage 

 waters indicated that there was a decreased loss of ammonia and nitrate 

 nitrogen but an increased loss of calcium. In general, an increase in the 

 fineness of division of pulverized limestone is responsible for a proportional 

 increase in crop yield, as well as for exerting a beneficial influence on the 

 chemical factors in the soil. Furthermore, 200-mesh limestone may be regarded 

 as effective as burnt lime." 



Limestone resources of Pennsylvania, W. Freak and F. J. Holben {Penn- 

 sylvania Sta. Rpt. 1915, pp. 36M06).— Additional analyses of Pennsylvania 

 limestones and limestone products, supplementing a previous compilation 

 (B. S. R., 34, p. 133), are given. 



Manufacturing wastes as sources of farm lime, G. 0. Given {Pennsylvania 

 ma. Rpt. 1915, pp. 406-412). — This reports the results of analyses of waste 

 products from the manufacture of magnesia, acetylene, paper, leather, glue, 

 and acetone, to determine their value as a source of lime for agricultural 

 purposes. A brief description of the industrial process giving rise to each 

 product is included. 



Effect of three annual applications of boron on wheat, F. O. Cook and J. B. 

 Wilson {U. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 10 {1911), No. 12, pp. 591- 

 597) _ — Experiments conducted at the Arlington (Va.) farm of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry are reported, in which manure plus borax and manure plus 

 colemanite were added at the rate of 20 tons per acre to plats growing wheat. 

 Borax was mixed with manure the first year (1914) at the rate of 0.33 lb. 

 per bushel, and the last two years (1915 and 1916), at the rate of 0.08 lb. per 

 bushel. Colemanite was added to manure at the rate of 0.095 lb. per bushel. 

 Analyses of the wheat straw, grain, and soil are included. 



It was found that "borax reduced the yield of wheat (grain) 10 per cent 

 in 1914 and 1915, while colemanite had little, if any, effect. The manured con- 

 trol gave the largest yields of grain in 1914 and 1915, and the unmanured con- 

 trols the lowest yields. In 1916 the yields from all plats were low, and the 

 proportion of straw to grain was higher than during the two previous years. 

 In 1916 the borax plat gave the best yield. 



During the three years there were seasonable variations involving a gradual 

 decrease of fat and an increase of nitrogen in the grain and straw from all 

 plats. During this period the moisture in the straw increased and that of the 

 grain decreased. 



