552 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



" The soil, under the good corn, yielded to distilled water most potash, most phos- 

 phoric acid, most chlorin, and most silica; while the soil under the poor corn yielded 

 most lime, magnesia, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid; and the soil under no corn gave 

 least potash, magnesia, and chlorin. 



"Potash was absorbed from both the nitrate and chlorid in nearly the same 

 amounts by the three conditions of soil, except that the 'no corn' soil took up 108 

 parts per million as the nitrate and only 80 parts from the chlorid, throwing out the 

 same amount of chlorin in both cases and absorbing most nitric acid where it was 

 combined with lime. 



" Lime was thrown into solution by the soils under good and poor corn, where it 

 went in as chlorid, but was absorbed as the nitrate; while the 'no corn' soil showed 

 the reverse relation. 



" Magnesia was absorbed in largest amount by the soil under good corn and in 

 least amount by that under poor corn. 



"Nitric acid was thrown into solution by the poor soil in both cases, but in largest 

 amount when it went in with the lime. It was absorbed in much the largest amount 

 from the potash salt by the good corn soil, but in least amount as the lime nitrate. 



"The good corn soil absorbed more phosphoric acid than the poor corn soil in 

 both cases and more than the 'no corn' soil in one case." 



By increasing the time of contact from 20 minutes to 18 hours the tendency was 

 to increase the absorption of potash, nitric acid, and phosphates, and to decrease that 

 of lime and magnesia, sulphates, and chlorin. 



Analysis of the soil by means of the plant (Jour. Soc. Arts, 52 (1904), No. 

 2111, p. 8S1). — This is an abstract of a paper by A. D. Hall, read before the British 

 Association at its meeting at Cambridge. It briefly reviews previous investigations 

 on the value of plant analysis as a means of ascertaining the fertilizer requirements 

 of soils, especially the work of Atterberg on oats, and reports experiments by the 

 author on oats grown in pots containing soils of very different types. 



Except in certain striking cases there was no strict agreement between results 

 obtained by chemical analysis of the ash of the plants and of the soil. The variations 

 in composition of crops grown in duplicate pots of the same soil were often grpater 

 than between those grown on different soils. The accumulated data of the Rotham- 

 sted experiments, so far as they bear upon this question, are summarized, and indicate 

 in general that the composition of the plant does to a certain extent reflect that of 

 the soil, yet the range of variation shown by the plant was less than that indicated by 

 soil analysis. 



The root crops are apparently very sensitive to lack of mineral plant foods in the 

 soil, while the cereals are comparatively indifferent. It appears, for example, that 

 "the analysis of the ash of the Swede plant would often provide a better indication 

 of the phosphoric acid requirements of the soil than does the analysis of the soil 

 itself, and that similarly the mangel plant will serve to test the state of the soil as to 

 potash. A great number of data as to the limits of normal variation in the composi- 

 tion of the ash are, however, wanted before the method can be employed for practi- 

 cally testing the soil." 



How can the farmer best determine the fertilizer requirements of his soil? 

 Gerlach (Arb. Pent. Landw. Gesell, 1904, No. 98, pp. 47-58).— This article discusses 

 the value of mechanical and chemical analysis, and fertilizer experiments for this 

 purpose. Systematic and comprehensive field experiments are considered the most 

 reliable means of determining the fertilizer requirements of soils. 



Report of the chemical laboratory of the Ploti Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, B. M. Welbel ( Godlchnuvi Otchet Plot;/. Selsk. Khoz. Opuitn. Stantzu, 9 (1903), 

 pp % 95-120, 130-134).— The studies of previous years (E. S. R., 15, p. 456) on the nitro- 

 gen content of the atmospheric precipitation and of drainage waters were continued 

 during 1903. Studies were also made in vegetation boxes of the influence of manures 



