WATER SOILS 731 



"The average number of days on which the precipitation amounted to 0.01 of an 

 inch or more was 61, the maximum number being 109, at Omaha. 



" The average velocity of the wind over the State for the year was 9 miles an hour, 

 which is 0.5 of a mile an hour above the normal. The maximum velocity was 80 

 miles an hour at Lincoln on May 12." 



The -weather (Ontario Bureau Tiid.Rpt. 1896, pp. 38-44). — Tables give 

 tlie highest, lowest, mean highest, mean lowest, and mean temperature 

 at the principal stations (8) in Ontario during each month of 1896 and 

 during the period 1882-96, as well as the annual means; monthly sum- 

 maries of sunshine observations for the same periods at 5 stations; 

 rainfall and snow during 1895 and 1S96 at 71 places; averages for 7 

 years of temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature of 

 dewpoint, cloudiness, direction and velocity of wind, precipitation, etc., 

 at Toronto Observatory; and a monthly and annual summary of obser- 

 vations on temperature, direction and force of wind, and precipitation 

 at Haileybury, Lake Temiscamingue. 



Meteorological observations, W. B. Alwood ( Virginia Sta. Pqrt. 1896, pp. 8, 9). — 

 Tables give monthly summaries (1) of observations on temperature, precipitation, 

 prevailing winds, and cloudiness during the year ending June 30, 1896; and (2) of 

 maximum, minimum, and average temperature and precipitation for the period from 

 June 30, 1893, to June 30, 1896. 



Meteorology in Norway, 1896 (Aarsber. Offent. Foranst. Landbr. Fremme, 1S96, 

 Pji. 535-554). 



Temperature and rainfall, E. F. Ladd (North Dakota Sta. Bpt. 189G, p. 13).— A 

 table gives maximum, minimum, and mean temperature and rainfall during each 

 month of 1896 and for comparison the total rainfall of 4 previous years. 



Certain agriculturally important temperature values of northern South-west 

 Africa, K. Dove (Ztschr. Trop. Landw., 1 (1S97), Xox. 11, pp. J71-J74; 1,.', pp. 309-312) 



WATER— SOILS. 



Experiments on the nitrification of the nitrogenous matter of 

 the soil and of various nitrogenous fertilizers, P. Boname {Lap. 

 An. Ma. Agron. [Mauritius], 1896, pp. 74-85). — These experiments con- 

 sisted in collecting the drainage water from soil to which different ferti- 

 lizers had been added, and testing it for ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen 

 at stated intervals (every month). Three series of experiments are 

 reported. The first, extending from January 20 to June 26, 1896, was 

 made with galvanized iron pots containing 16 kg. of soil. The second, 

 extending from March 9 to June 13, 1896, was made in the laboratory 

 with glass cylinders holding 900 gin. of soil. The third, extending 

 from June 11, 1896, to February 20, 1897, was made with galvanized 

 iron cylinders holding 3 kg. of soil. 



The soil used consisted principally of fine sand (46.3 per cent) and 

 clay (25.5 per cent), and contained 0.115 per cent of phosphoric acid, 

 0.155 per cent of lime, 0.066 per cent of potash, 13 per cent of oxid of 

 iron and alumina, and 0.35 per cent of nitrogen. Like most of the 



