434 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Reclaiming barren lands (Forest Leaves, 6 (1897), No. 5, pp. 92-94). — An accouut 

 is given ol" the attempt made to reclaim the barren lands near Provincetown, 

 Massachusetts. 



The deforestation of mountains as related to the fertility of the soil, P. Casaf.i 

 (Jour. Hyg., J? (1897), No. 1086, p. 333). — A memoir presented to the Socictc Agraire de 

 Bologne, April 25, 1897. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Experiments on the fertilizing action of the phosphoric acid of 

 bone meal, J. Kuhn (Fiihling's landw. Ztg., 46 (1897), No. 16, pp. 471- 

 482). — Comparative tests of superphosphate (total phosphoric acid 16.96 

 per ceut, soluble 14.03 per cent), Thomas slag (phosphoric acid 20.07 per 

 cent), and "degelatinized" bone (phosphoric acid 29.45 per cent, nitro- 

 gen 1.22 per cent), and steamed bone (phosphoric acid 21.99 per cent, 

 nitrogen 4.85 per cent), on summer rye grown in zinc boxes filled with 

 poor sandy soil are reported. These boxes were 20 cm. square and 25 

 cm. deep and were provided with suitable devices for securing proper 

 aeration and watering. The amount of water added at anyone time 

 never exceeded 70 per cent of the water-holding capacity of the soil. 

 The results are summarized in the following table: 



Comparison of different forms of phosphoric add for summer rye. 



Air-dry crop. 



The fertilizing. 1 



i train 



Straw 

 and chaff. 



Wit In ii it phosphoric acid 



44.53 ll>s. phosphoric acid per aire in form of 



superphosphate. 



89.06 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



superphosphate 



89.06 11)8. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



Thomas slag 



17*. 13 lbs phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



Thomas slag 



89.06 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of de- 

 gelatinized bone meal 



44.53 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



steamed bone 



89.06 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



steamed bone 



178.13 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



steamed bono 



356.27 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



steamed bone 



89.06 lbs. phosphoric acid per acre in form of 



steamed bone meal, deeply applied 



'., ams. 

 8.64 



9.94 



12.50 



13.94 



15.40 



14.21 

 12.50 

 13.67 

 15.18 

 15. 'J'.' 

 13.31 



Grams. 



22.43 

 2:.. 31 

 30.09 

 33. 72 

 38. 62 

 36.05 

 33.58 

 32. HO 

 35. 41 

 35.79 

 31.28 



Total 



crop. 



Grams. 



31.07 

 3.'.. 25 

 42. 59 



17. 66 

 54. os 

 50. 26 



16.08 

 46. 47 

 50. 59 

 51.08 

 44. 50 



Crop increase, taking the 

 plat receiving no phos- 

 phoric acid as 100. 



drain. 



Straw 



and chaff, crop. 



Total 



Grams 



100 

 115 



14a 

 161 

 179 

 164 

 145 

 158 

 176 

 177 

 154 



drums, d in nis. 

 100 100 



113 

 134 

 150 

 172 

 161 

 150 

 146 

 158 

 160 

 139 



113 

 137 

 153 

 174 

 162 

 14H 

 150 

 163 

 164 

 144 



■On all plats nitrogen was applied in the form of sulphate of ammonia at the rate of 71.25 lbs. per 

 acre, allowance being made fnr the nitrogen of bone according to Wagner's figures; potash in the form 

 of kainit, 89 His. per acre; and lime in the form of powdered chalk about 810 lbs. per acre. 



The results show in general that the Thomas slag and bone meal 

 were about equally effective and gave better results than the super- 

 phosphate. The degelatinized bone meal was apparently as effective 

 as the other kind used. The depth at which the steamed bone Avas 

 applied did not appreciably affect the results, but it is explained that 



