340 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The effect of ^:tin•il);,'■ tlie ^^uil to certain depths was also studied aii<l the iidlnence of 

 the ali<ali on the evaporation was noted. The apparatus used and the method of 

 fillintj the cyHnders with undisturbed soil are described. After filling, the cylinders 

 were buried to their tops in the soil. Observations during 1901 are recorded. From 

 these the following conclusions are drawn: 



"The evaporation from the surface of the soil with the level of water maintained 

 at 6 in. below was 95 per cent, at 12 in. below it was 70 per cent, at 18 in. below it 

 was 45 per cent, and at 22 in. below it was 35 percent of what it was at the surface of 

 the water in the evaporation tank. 



" Stirring the ground once a week to the depth of 2 in. retarded evaporation to the 

 amount of 19 per cent, when stirred to a depth of 4 in. it was retarded 23 per cent, 

 and when stirred to a depth of 6 in. evajioration was retarded 45 per cent. The 

 wat6r in all 3 of the pipes was maintained at a depth of 22 in. below the surface of 

 the soil. 



" Evaporation was retarded 43 per cent when the soil contained 0.0597 per cent of 

 alkali and the level of water was maintained at 6 in. below the surface. The amount 

 of retardation was 55 per cent in soil containing 0.5116 per cent of alkali and the level 

 of water 12 in. below the surface. In soil containing 0.5375 per cent of alkali the 

 amount of retardation was 50 per cent when the level of water was maintained at 18 

 in. below the surface; while the retardation was 57 per cent in soil containing 0.6205 

 per cent of alkali and the level of water kept at 22 in. below the surface. The 

 amount of alkali is the average amount found in the entire 26 in. of soil. 



" More alkali was found in the first 3 in. than in any other 3 in. of the soil. 



" More alkali was found in the last 2 in. than in the 3 next above." 



The progress in the field of chemistry of waters, including' natural and 

 artificial mineral waters, A. Goldberg {CJiriii. Ztg., S6 {1902), No. 78, pp. 

 912-918). — A review of investigations on this subject, containing numerous refer- 

 ences to articles, during the years 1899-1901. 



The bacteriological analysis of drinking waters, Bordas {Ann. CJiim. Anali/t., 

 7 {l!iO/),pp. 249,250; ah^. in Clwin. Caithl., 1!)0.\ II, No. 7, p. 537). 



Seventh annual report for the year 1901 of the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station of Ploti {Sept. Hap. An. Stn. Expl. Aijron. I'lotii, 1901, pp. NIV 180).— 

 This report contains accounts in the Russian language, with resumes in French, of 

 observations and investigations in the meteorological station, chemical laboratory, 

 and experimental field. This work is in the main a continuation of that of previous 

 years (E. S. R., 14, p. 17.) 



Report of the meteorolorjicol and agro)n>niir station. — This includes a summary of 

 observations on precipitation, humidity, cloudiness, evaporation, temjierature of the 

 air and of the surface of the soil, sunshine, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure, 

 direction and force of wind, and miscellaneous phenomena. 



Report on loork in the experimental field. — This includes mainly experiments to test 

 the effect of the growing of forage plants on the succeeding crops, rotation experi- 

 ments, and cultivation of fallows. The results favor the introduction of forage 

 plants of long periods of growth in rotation with winter and spring cereals. The 

 results of tests of Owinsky's method of growing cereals, namely, seeding in strips 

 30 cm. wide (containing 6 rows) separated by bare strips 38 cm. wide, and cultivat- 

 ing 2 in. deep, indicates that this method possesses no advantages over ordinary 

 methods of culture. From the description given, this method is very similar to that 

 known as the Lois-Weedon system. 



Report of tlie chemical laboratory. — As in previous years, the work of the chemical 

 la))oratory consisted mainly of determinations of the amount of ammonia, nitrites, 

 and nitrates brought down in rain water; the nitrogen removed from the soil in 

 some of the more common cereals, such as winter and spring wheat and rye; and a 

 study of the influence of manure in rotation on yield and quality of crop. The 



