20 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



auinionia. The best results were obtained by adding 2 per cent of i^otassium car- 

 bonate, but 1 per cent had a very considerable effect. The conclusion is drawn that 

 potassium carbonate ought to be applied to peat land." 



Soil temperatures at Flahult Moor Experiment Station, Sweden, 1897- 

 1901, H. VON Feilitzen {Tidskr. Snmska Mosskult. Furening, 16 {1903), No. 2, pp. 

 141-151. ) — Temperature measurements were made at depths of 20, 40, and 60 cm. on 

 low and high moors, under various conditions of culture, some plats being sand- 

 covered, others mixed with sand, drained l)y ditching to different depths, etc. The 

 temperature of the soil was found to increase on the average about 1° C, through 

 application of sand on the moor, and inore with increasing quantities applied. The 

 investigations furnish decisive evidence that moor soils may be rendered consider- 

 ably warmer by applications of soil amendments. As a result the danger of frost is 

 decreased, the soil can be w^orked and planted to crops earlier in the spring, and the 

 crops grown therefore develop more rapidly. — f. w. w'oll. 



The composition of soil samples from marsh land, O. von Czadek {ZtscJir. 

 Landw. Versuchw. Oesterr., 5 {1902), No. 1, pp. 29-33, j)l. 1; abs. in Chem. Centbl., 

 1902, 1, No. 9, p). 539). — A number of analyses of soil and subsoil are reported. These 

 were made in connection with an attempt to improve the soils by the use of sewage 

 from Vienna. The soils are generally fairly well supi)lied with plant foods, and their 

 unproductiveness in many cases is attriljuted to vmfavorable climatic conditions. 



Results of vegetation experiments on marsh soils, B. Tacke {Milt. Deut. 

 Landw. Gesell, 17 {1902), Nos. IS, pp. 99, 100; 19, pp. 101, 102).— These experiments 

 were made in zinc pots containing about 19 kg. of the fresh soils. The two soils 

 used contained only 8.24 and 8.99 per cent of organic and volatile matter, respec- 

 tively. The results show that they were benefited by applications of lime and phos- 

 phoric acid, but apjiarently their greatest need was nitrogen. There seemed to be 

 little demand for potasli. 



Soil tests and variety tests, E. W. HiLCiARD {Proc. Soc. Prom. Agr. Sci. 1901, 

 pp. 89-94)- — A paper discussing the methods of making soil and variety tests. 



Nitrification in different soils, W. A. Withers and G. S. Fraps {Jour. Amer. 

 Chem. Soc, 24 {1902), No. 6, jjp. 528-534). — In continuation of previous studies on 

 the rate of nitrification of different nitrogenous fertilizing materials (E. S. R., 13, 

 p. 122), the authors studied the rate of nitrification of ammonium sulphate and cotton- 

 seed meal in 11 soils obtained from different parts of the country and including sandy 

 soil, light loam, heavy clay, black garden soil, etc., some of them being acid. The 

 results are summarized as foUow's: 



" (1 ) Addition of calcium carbonate invariably accelerates the nitrification of cotton- 

 seed meal and ammonium sulphate, especially the latter. 



"(2) In some soils a greater j^ercentage of the nitrogen in ammonium sulphate is 

 nitrified than that in cotton-seed meal, and in other soils the contrary is the case, 

 even in the presence of calcium carbonate. 



"(3) The factorswhich produce this result are probably as follows: (1) The pres- 

 ence of the ammonium sulphate diminishes the activity of the nitrifying organisms; 

 (2) the acids produced also hinder them; (8) different soils contain different classes 

 of organisms, some of which nitrify organic in preference to ammoniacal nitrogen. 



"(4) We have found no evidence on record that organisms which nitrify organic 

 nitrogen directly do not exist. The fact that they have not been isolated l)y present 

 methods may be due to their elimination by the use of ammonium salts, on which 

 they can not feed, in the nutritive medium. 



"(5) Liming acid soils is favorable to nitrification. 



"(6) Continuous application of ammonium sulphate to a soil previously limed 

 increases its power of nitrifying ammonium sulphate." 



Nitrog-en of humus, A. Do.iarenko {Landw. Vers. Stat., 56 {1902), No. 4, PP- 

 311-320). — Total nitrogen and nitrogen in form of amids, ammonia, and amido acids 



