330 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



grains increased, but the absolute weight of the grain diminished. According to the 

 author this explains the good quality of the wheat, especially with regard to high 

 protein content, from the east and southeast of Russia, where the soils are rich in 

 soluble salts, including nitrates. — p. fireman. 



Formation of sodium carbonate or black alkali by plants, F. K. Cameeon 

 and F. D. Gardxer {Pror. Soc. Prom. Acjr. Sci., 1900, pp. 162, 163). — A brief note on 

 chemical examinations of the water extract of the stems, leaves, etc., and the ash of 

 two plants capable of withstanding relatively large amounts of alkali in the soil — 

 creosote bush ( CoviUea tridentata) , and greasewood (Sarrohatus rermiculatus) . It was 

 found in case of the first that while the plant contained chlorin, it was not present 

 in the form of sodium chlorid, but probably in organic combination. The amount of 

 sodium present was decidedly in excess of that required to neutralize the chlorin 

 found. 



[It was found that the greasewood] "contained considerable amounts of chlorids 

 and sulphates, and that practically all of these acids were present in the plant in the 

 form of the sodium salts as such, the plant being in this respect in marked contrast 

 to the CoriUea tridentata previously examined. A striking feature was the much 

 greater percentage of ash obtained from the leaves and blossoms than from the stems, 

 and the markedly larger percentage of alkali salts in the ash of the former. Another 

 interesting point is that the leachings of the air-dried leaves and blossoms were shown 

 to contain about three times as much sodium as would be necessary to balance the 

 hydrochloric and sulphuric acids in the plant. It is, therefore, probably present 

 very largely in organic combination and upon the decay of the plant tissues would be 

 expected to yield large amounts of sodium carbonate." 



A study of the agricultural value of tlie soils of Madag-ascar, A. MtJNTz and 

 E. Rousseaux {A}tn. Sci. Ayron., IMl, I, Nug. 1, pp. 1-OS, 152-160, map 1; 2, pp. 

 161-253, 296-S20; 3, pp. 321-398). 



The soils of the colony of the Cavaignac, Algeria, J. DuciAST {Ann. Sci. 

 Agron., 1901, I, No. 3, pp. 425-452, pis. 3). — Partial mechanical and chemical analy- 

 ses of 18 samples are reported. The soils are stated to be in general well supplied 

 with nitrogen (0.063 to 0.168 per cent) and phosphoric acid (0.073 to 0.221 percent), 

 and to be rich in potash (0.5 to 1.228 per cent), but difiicult to cultivate, being com- 

 pact and impermeable. They contain a large amount of tenacious clay (32.45 to 

 54.77 per cent), fine calcareous sand (4.2 to 16.9 per cent) and fine siliceous sand 

 (15.42 to 40.08 per cent), which causes them to become sticky when wet and hard 

 when dry. The lime varies in the analyses reported from 2.826 to 13.272 per cent. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Influence of systems of fertilizing upon the amount and quality of the 

 humus of the soil, W. Frear and E. H. Hess {Proc. Soc. Prom. Agr. Sci., 1900, 

 pp. 60-69). — The importance and functions of humus in the soil are briefly discussed 

 and an account is given of chemical examinations of soils from plats at the Pennsyl- 

 vania Station which have been used since 1881 for fertilizer experiments as follows: 

 (1) Cropping without manure, (2) manured with stable manure and lime, (3) treated 

 with lime alone, (4) treated with crushed limestone, (5) receiving complete mineral 

 fertilizer containing nitrate of soda, and (6) receiving complete mineral fertilizer 

 containing stilphate of ammonia. The chemical examinations made involved deter- 

 mination (1) of loss on ignition, (2) organic carbon, and (3) active humus; besides 

 hygroscopic moisture, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The results reported show that con- 

 tinuous cultivation on the limestone clay soils used in these experiments has not 

 greatly diminished the amount of humus. The greatest increase in humus was found 

 in case of the manuring with yard manure and lime, although the amount of humus 

 was but slightly smaller in case of complete mineral fertilizer, a larger amount of 



