1918.J SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 723 



species, the age and [spacing] of the standing trees, as well as the other forest 

 conditions. One point common to the three lots is the richness in nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, potash, and lime." 



The utilization of sewage water in Italy, A. Aita {Italia Agr., 53 {1915), 

 No. 11, pp. Jf99-502; abs. in Internat. Inst. Agr. IRomel, Internat. Rev. Set. and 

 Pract. Agr., 8 {1911), No. 1, pp. 30-32). — Analyses of the sewage waters of sev- 

 eral Italian cities and of night soil from Cremona are reported and discussed. 



The author is of the opinion that with normal coal prices the manufacture of 

 ammonium sulphate in Italy fi'om the supernatant liquid from settled night 

 soil would be worth while, especially in the smaller towns. Large-scale experi- 

 ments by him showed the impracticability of the method of extracting ammonia 

 by the prolonged effect of a current of air passing through the liquid. A brief 

 description is also given of the treatment of the solid residues as carried out 

 in England and Germany to extract the fatty matter. 



Commercial fertilizers ^n war time, C. E. Thokne {Mo. Bui. Ohio Sta., 3 

 {1918), No. 1, pp. 5-7, figs. 2). — Reviewing the results of experiments extending 

 over several years at four different places in Ohio, the general conclusion is 

 reached that " acid phosphate may be used with certainty of a profitable in- 

 crease of crop under existing market conditions, but that the additional in- 

 crease produced by adding nitrogen or potassium to the phosphate is likely to 

 be worth less than the added cost of the fertilizer." The results also emphasize 

 the importance under present conditions of the systematic production and care- 

 ful saving and use of animal manures. 



The influence of sodium nitrate upon nitrogen transformations in soils 

 with special reference to its availability and that of other nitrogenous 

 manures, D. A. Colesian {Soil Sci., 4 {1917), No. 5, pp. 345-432, fig. 1). — This is 

 a report of a detailed study of the influence of sodium nitrate on ammonifi- 

 cation of dried blood and cottonseed meal in acid and alkaline soils and in 

 the presence of acid phosphate or potassium chlorid, or both ; on nitrification 

 of ammonium sulphate, dried blood, and cottonseed meal ; and on nitrogen fixa- 

 tion ; as well as observations upon nitrate transformation by soil micro- 

 organisms. Seven typical sandy, loam, and muck soils from different parts of 

 the country, as well as " niter spot " soils from Colorado, were used in these 

 studies. The data are tabulated and discussed in considerable detail and the 

 more pertinent results of the investigations summarized. 



Applications of sodium nitrate markedly increased the simplification of 

 protein material applied to soils, the results varying somewhat with the source 

 of the organic matter. For example, cottonseed meal was ammonified to a 

 larger extent in the presence of sodium nitrate than was dried blood. 



Acid phosphate increased the ammonification of dried blood nitrogen, but 

 sodium nitrate added as a limiting factor did not stimulate the decay of the 

 material. Potassium chlorid had a slight stimulating effect in some soils while 

 in others no action was observed. Sodium nitrate decreased ammonia accumu- 

 lation In soils supplied with dextrose. Combined in the proper proportions, 

 sodium nitrate, acid phosphate, and potassium chlorid increased the simplifica- 

 tion of organic matter to a greater extent than any one of these substances 

 alona 



Sodium nitrate lost its stimulating power to a great extent in alkaline soils 

 due, it is explained, to an increased number of bacteria which assimilated a 

 considerable proportion of the simplified material, and also to a rearrange- 

 ment of the soil fliora. Of the soil flora studied the soil fungi responded most to 

 applications of sodium nitrate with the bacteria next. 



The stimulating influence of sodium nitrate was found to be due to the anion. 

 62077°— 18 3 



