FERTILIZERS. 429 



manure spreader." This manure was used at rates of 4 and 8 tons per acre on each 

 crop in the rotations and 2^ and 5 tons in case of the continuous j^rain cropping. 



In another series of experiments comparative tests were made of open-yard manure 

 treated with fine-ground phosphatic rock, acid phosphate, kainit, and gypsum at the 

 rate of 40 lbs. per ton of manure, and of manure similarly treated, which was "taken 

 from box stalls, where it had accunmlated under the feet of animals which were 

 kept continuously in their stalls, being given sufficient bedding to keej* them clean 

 without cleaning out the stalls." 



The results show in general "that it will pay well to give more attention than is 

 done on the average farm to the preservation of barnyard manure, first, by guarding 

 it from the sources of loss which occur in the ordinary, open barnyard, and, second, 

 by treating it with materials calculated to reduce the losses from escaping annnonia 

 on the one hand and to increase its content of phosphoric acid on tlie other. 



"To accomplish this purpose, acitl phosphate appears to be the material producing 

 the largest and most profitable immediate increase in effectiveness of the manure, 

 but the experiments strongly suggest the possibility that the finely ground, phos- 

 phatic rock from which acid phosphate is made may be found an economical sulisti- 

 tute for the latter by using it as an absorbent in the stables and thus securing an 

 intimate mixture with the manure in its fresh condition." 



Aerobic fermentation of barnyard, manure, C. Dupoxt {Ann. Agron., 38 {1902), 

 No. 6, pp. 289-317). — Studies of the behavior in different media of Bacillus viesen- 

 tericus ruber and B. thermophilus grignoni are reported. These organisms produced 

 carbon dioxid in large quantities and traces of volatile acids. The first is very active 

 above 55° C. and can be cultivated in all media even in absence of nitrogen. It 

 attacks sugar and starch and rapidly breaks down protein with the production of 

 ammonia and the liberation of some free nitrogen. The second can withstand 

 relatively very high temperatures. In its oxidizing action it resembles B. mesen- 

 tericus ruber, but rarely produces ammonia from protein. Barnyard manure is very 

 favorable to the growth of B. viesentericus ruber, and at the lower _ temperatures it 

 soon becomes the predominating organism. When the temperature rises, however, 

 its activity diminishes and it is replaced by B. fJiermophihis grignoni, which will live 

 at a temperature of 70°. 



Experiments on the treatment of barnyard manure with lime, 0. Reit.m.\ir 

 {Ztschr. Laiidtr. VirsncJisir. OeMn-r., 5 (1902), Xo. 1", pp. 1107-1140).— The resuhsoi 

 the experiments reported indicate that with manure of the kind used in these 

 experiments (mixed solid and liquid manure, with litter, containing 75 per cent of 

 moisture) calcium carbonate is of no value as a preservative. 



Field experiments with a fertilizer made from beet-sugar factory refuse, 

 H. SvoBODA {Ztschr. Landw. Versuchsw. Oeaterr., 5 {1902), No. 9, pp. 1036-1052) .— 

 Experiments on a variety of crops during 1900 and 1901 are reported with this fer- 

 tilizer which is prepared by a patented process consisting essentially of concentrating 

 the diffusion residue to 78 to 80° Brix (1.4 sj). gr. ), mixing with powdered calcium 

 carbonate and crude sulphuric acid, and drying. The material is variable in com- 

 position, but contains on an average 14 to 15 per cent of lime almost entirely in the 

 form of sulphate, 10 to 14 per cent of i)otash, 3 to 4i per cent of nitrogen, and a very 

 small amount of pliosphoric acid (al)out O.lt) per cent). 



Chemical-agricultural investigations on "ligara," F. Gabbrieli.i [Staz. 

 Sper. Agr. Ital, 35 {1902), No. 8, pp. 642-6-53).— The fertilizing value of this material, 

 which is apparently a kind of peat, is discussed. 



Contribution to the knowledge of the green manuring of heavy soils, F. 

 H.\NrscH [Ztschr. Landw. Ver.'iuchsu'. Oesterr., 5 {1902), No. 9, pp. 1063-1066).— The 

 effect of green manuring with a number of different kinds of plants in comparison 

 with fallow is reported. The results were irregular and did not denote any advan- 

 tage for the green manuring as regards total crop of oats. 



