FERTILIZERS. 123 



The loiu'lusictiit^ ilrawu from thijs work are as follows: 



"(1) The nitrification of blood takes place more rapidly when it is mixed with 

 a large (luantity of soil than with a small (inantity. 



"(2) The order of nitrification in the soil nsed was dried blood (most nitrified), 

 dried flsh, tankage, bat guano, bone, ammonimn sulphate. Excluding the aimiio- 

 ninm sulphate, this is the order of availability, as measured by vegetation tests, and 

 solubility in permanganate of potash. 



"(3) When calcium carbonate was added to the soil, the nitrification wa.s greatly 

 accelerated, and the order became dried blood, cotton-seeti meal, dried fish, bat 

 guano, tankage, ammonium sulphate, l)one. 



"(4) When ammonium sulphate is used as a fertilizer, in most ciuses it would be 

 advisable to add calcium carbonate in some form also. 



"(5) The low rate of nitrification of ammonium sulphate is probably due to the 

 presence of organisms which nitrify organic compounds in preference to ammonium 

 salts. The presence of the ammonium sulphate may also hinder the activity of the 

 nitrifying organisms. The acids formed may also be a hindrance when no base is 

 present to neutralize them. All three of these causes may be in oi)eration at the 

 same time." 



The assimilation of free nitrogen by soil bacteria without symbiosis with 

 leg-uminous plants, J. KtJHX {Fu}ill)ig\'< Landir. Ztg., 50 {1901), Xo. 1, pp. J-9). — 

 This article is a discussion of the results of fertilizer experiments in 2>n)gress on the 

 experiment fields of the University at Halle since 1878. The fertilizers applied 

 annually on the different plats were barnyard manure, superphosphate and kainit, 

 suiierphosphate and kainit in conjunction with ammonium sulphate and nitrate of 

 soda, and ammonium sulphate and nitrate of soda alone. A check plat received no 

 manure. In 1892 the result^s showed that where the nitrogenous and nonnitroge- 

 nous fertilizers were use<l together the quantity of nitrogen in tlie yield was greater 

 than in the crop which had received only nonnitrogenous fertilizers, the proportion 

 being a))out as 3 to 2. The author discussesthe question as to where the nitrogen came 

 fi'om which was contained in the crop receiving no nitrogenous fertilizers. The 

 results bearing on this subject obtained by different investigators, and indicating the 

 increase of the available supply of nitrogen in the soil through the activity of soil 

 bacteria without a symbiotic relation with leguminous plants, are reviewed. 



Pot experiments in 1899, J. H.\namann {Ztschr. Landw. Versuchaw. Oexterr., 

 3 (1900), Xo. 5, pp. 575-.582). — Experiments were conducted for three years in suc- 

 cession to determine the residual effects of different fertilizer combinations applied 

 the first year the experiments were in progress. Four different kinds of soil — sand, 

 sandy loam, loam, and clay — were used. The results for the season are recorded in 

 detail and the observations on the action of different fertilizer substances discussed. 

 An experiment with different reagents to test the solubility of phosplioric acids in 

 soils is reported. 



Comparative tests of fertilizing value of two new phosphates, Gkimm 

 {Chetn. Ltd., ^4 {1901), p. 213; ahs. in Chem. ZUj.,25 {1901), No. 28, Reprrt., p. 106).— 

 Comparative tests of Wiborgh phosphate and Wolters ground phosphate on nuistard, 

 alfalfa, and Ijarley grown in pots containing 7,000 gm. of soil are reported. The 

 Wiborgh phosphate used contained 26.09 per cent of totai phosphoric acid, 25.47 per 

 cent of citrate-soluble phosphoric acid, 37.9 per cent of lime, 1.39 per cent of potash, 

 and 8.76 per cent of silica. The Wolters i)hosphate contained 16.25 per cent of total 

 phosphoric acid, 15.08 per cent of citrate-soluble phosphoric acid, 25.77 per cent of 

 lime, and 28.36 per cent of silica. The latter material is prepared by fusing cru.le 

 phosphates with siliceous material, sand or glass, and calcium carbonate. Its phos- 

 phoric; acid was apparently more available to plants in these experiments than that 

 of the Wiljorgh phosphate. 



2453-No. 2—01 a 



