138 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



some southern soils, and influence of lime ami stable manure on nitrification and 

 water-soluble phosphates and sulphates. 



Frequent and thorough cultivation to conserve soil moisture ami render plant food 

 available is shown to be of great importance, especially in soils of close structure and 

 feeble granulation, such as are found in many parts of the South. Objections to the 

 common practice of running the plow close to the rows of corn and throwing the 

 earth away from the plants are pointed out, and the advantages of flat cultivation 

 for corn, potatoes, and cotton are explained. More frequent and deeper plowing is 

 recommended as a means of improving the mechanical condition of the soils. 



Some soil problems for practical farmers, E. C. Chilcott ( U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Yearbook 1908, pp. 441-452). — The lack of proper instruction in schools and colleges 

 regarding the origin and properties of soils is pointed out, and suggestions are made 

 regarding home study of physical geography and geology by farmers as preliminary 

 preparation for the practical study of soil problems. 



The article also discusses the essentials of a progressive farmer, requisites tor the 

 successful teacher or investigator, the relation of the scientist to the farmer, and 

 methods and value of crop rotations, the discussion of the last topic being based upon 

 the results of experiments carried on at the South Dakota Station during the last 7 

 years. "Crop rotation is only one of the many soil problems that should be worked 

 out in the field at the experiment stations and by farmers upon their own farms; and 

 the farmer and the scientist should keep in close touch, so that each may profit by 

 the experience of the other." 



" Sour" or acid soils and their treatment, II. G. Fourcade ( Agr. Jour. Cape 

 Good Hope, 25 {1904), No. 1, pp. 33-43). — A general discussion of the character of 

 decomposition which organic matter undergoes in the soil, the conditions which 

 affect soil acidity, methods of treatment of acid soils, and crops adapted to such soils. 

 Numerous references to the literature of the subject are given. 



The relation of humus to plant growth, V. 11. Davis (Jour. Columbus Hurt. 

 Soc, 19 (1904), No. 2, ]/p. .5-5-60). — A general discussion of this subject. 



Factors of availability of plant food, <i. S. Fraps (Amer. <'hni>. Jour., 82 

 (1904), No. 1, pp. 1-13). — This is the full text of the paper, an abstract of which has 

 already been noted (E. S. R., 15, p. 858). 



FERTILIZERS. 



Experiments with nitrogenous fertilizers, II. J. Patterson {Maryland Sta. 

 Bui. 91, pp. 25-58). — This bulletin discusses the early use of nitrogenous fertilizers, 

 the importance of nitrogen as a plant food, loss of nitrogen from the soil, general 

 conditions indicating the need of nitrogen, quantity of nitrogen annually removed 

 from Maryland farms, the origin and supply of nitrogen in soils, condition of the 

 nitrogen of soils, nitrification, sources of nitrogen, the use of the free nitrogen of the 

 atmosphere by plants, and artificial inoculation, and gives a summary of results of 

 experiments begun in 1X97 on medium-stiff clay loam. The object of these was to 

 compare different times of applying nitrate of soda (just before planting with and 

 without lime, at period of most active growth, and one-half before planting and one- 

 half at time of most active growth), to test the comparative effects of nitrate of soda 

 and sulphate of ammonia and of lime applied with mineral sources of nitrogen, to 

 compare nitrate of soda combined with sulphate of potash with nitrate of potash, to 

 compare different sources of organic nitrogen (including dried blood, raw and dis- 

 solved leather waste, raw and dissolved hair waste, bone tankage, dried fish, cotton- 

 seed meal, and stable manure), and to test the effect of treating hair and leather 

 waste witli acid. The materials were applied in amounts supplying 32 lbs. of nitrogen 

 per acre. The crops for which data are given are corn, wheat, and hay. 



The results in general favor the application of nitrate of soda before planting rather 



