WATER SOILS. 427 



from the south, are 30 ft. apart, and laid with 3 in. tile at depths between 2 and 3i 

 ft.; the next 3 are 40 ft. apart, laid with 4 in. tile, and their depths are from 2i to 42 

 ft., their greatest depth being where they join the main and the least at their east 

 ends, due both to their grade and the slope of the land toward the east. The twelfth 

 drain is 100 ft. from the eleventh, is laid with 5 in. tile and has a mean depth of 

 about 4j ft. 



"On the west side of the main there are 7 drains, each 155 ft. lonu;, and these also- 

 make an angle of about 18 degrees with the main. The first 4 are laid with 3 in. tile 

 at a depth of from 3 to 3^ ft., and 60 ft. apart; the next 2 are laid with 4 in. tile at a 

 depth of from 32 to 4 ft., and 60 ft. ajiart. The seventh is laid with 5 in. tile at a depth 

 of about 4| ft., and is 100 ft. from the sixth. The end of the main drain, where it 

 empties into the river, is about 65 ft. deep. 



"The slope of the land was such as to allow the east end of some of the drains to 

 come within 2 ft. of the surface, while the greatest average depth of any of them was 

 about 5 ft. This gave an opportunity for studying the effect of various depths of 

 water table on the rate of removal of alkali-and on the growth of crops." 



Observations on the fluctuations in the water table, the discharge of tlie drains, 

 and alkali content of the soil and drainage water are recorded. 



"Where the water table was within 6 in. or less of the surface tlie amount of alkali 

 was low^ 



"The maximum effect of capillarity in Hondo meadows soil was found where the 

 water table was about 2 ft. below the surface of the ground, as was shown by the 

 maximum accumulation of alkali. 



"Drains less than 3 ft. deep were not effective. 



"Ten floodings applied to the natural salt grass-covered surface removed about one- 

 seventh of the total alkali from the first 2 ft. of soil, and carried a large amount of 

 that formerly in the first foot down into the second. 



"Seepage water should be cut off by deep drains placed on the side of the land 

 from which it comes. 



"Combined open and tile drains will cost from $20 to $30 jx-r acre." 



The role of the plant in dissolving the plant food of the soil, P. Kossovicn 

 (Zhur. Opuitn. Agron. [Jour. Expt. Landw.], S {1902), No. 2, pp. 145-180, jAs. 4, jigs, 

 2). — Pot experiments with mustard, peas, and flax are reported in detail (both in 

 Russian and in German). The results show that plants play an important part in 

 dissolving plant food of the soil through acid secreted by their roots. 



On the influence of calcium carbonate on the progress of decomposition of 

 organic matter, P. Kossovich and I. Tretj.\kov [Zhur. Opintn. Agron. \_Jour. Expt. 

 Lamhv.l, S {1902), No. 4, pp. 450-484, fig. l). — The literature of the subject is reviewed 

 and experiments in small glass lysimeters are reported which show that the addition 

 of calcium carbonate retarded the decomposition of organic matter (hay and oak 

 leaves ) . This is stated to be in agreement with the general conclusions of other in ves- 

 tigators and with what occurs in nature in the case of chernozem soils on limestone 

 formations. Sucli soils are rich in humus, while other soils poor in lime do not 

 accumulate large amounts of humus even under forest growth. The close relation 

 between humus and lime content in soils has been pointed out Ijy Hilgard. 



The changes in soils which render them productive, A. Kkainskv {Zhur. 

 Opuiin. Agron. \_.Tuiir. Expt. Lamlir.], J {1902), No. 2, pp. 76^-^55).— .1 study of the 

 influence of the addition of various substances to soils on the processes which go on 

 in them — solution of constituents, nitrification, etc. — is briefly reported. 



Denitrification in cultivated soil, G. Ampola and C. Ulpiani {Gaz. Chim. Hal., 

 31 {1900), I, pp. 185-220; abs. in But. Soc. Chim. Paris, 3. ser., 28 {1902), No. 18-19, 

 p. 5i5).— Observations on the rate of denitrification in 4 kg. lots of soil containing 

 30 gm. of nitrate of soda each and inoculated with 10 liters of cultures of denitrifying 

 organisms are reported. After 4 months practically all of the nitrate nitrogen had 



