FERTILIZERS. 435 



less plain tract, treel^'ss in its natural state, not subject to inundatifins, covered with 

 mure or less i-ontinuous sod anil with a more or less dark soil layer on a suhsoil rich 

 in carbonates and other soluble salts." From deserts which are connected with it 

 by a series of transitions, the steppe differs by containing carbonates as a predomi- 

 natinjr cnnstituent of its soluble salts while they are also rich in soluble chlorids and 



Sul]>liates. — I'. FIHEM.VN. 



Some apparatus for soil investigation, T. L. Lyox and Y. Nikaido (Xebraska 

 Sta. IxjtI. WOO, pj). x!0-JS, tifj!<. S). — Apparatus for determininjjj soil moisture and soil 

 temjieratures are described. The first consists of a sampling tube, 200 gm. soil cans 

 of alununum with wooden case, and double-walled constant-level oven of sheet cop- 

 per coiitaining a mixture of 'A parts of glycerin with 1 of water for drying the soil in 

 the cans at 100° C. 



The apparatus for determining soil temperatures consists of a thermometer inclosed 

 in a hollow steel tube, which may l)e driven into the soil to the desired depth. "The 

 thermometer proper consists of a thin glass bulb 3 in. long and i in. in diameter 

 joined to a capillary stem 30 in. in length. The bulb and the stem are filled with 

 mercury to such a point that the zero point of the thermometer is 15 in. above the 

 bulb. The stem is inclosed in a glass case j in. in diameter at the lower or ungradu- 

 ated portion, and 1 in. in diameter at the upper portion Avhich carries the scale. 

 This leaves a dead-air space surrounding the stem of the thermometer, which tends 

 to prevent changes of temperature in it during the measurement of the soil tempera- 

 ttire. The total length of the ungraduated portion of the stem is 18 in. This per- 

 mits the determination of the temperature of the soil at any desired depth down to 

 that linut." For inserting the thermometer into the soil a solid steel rod closely 

 Htting the hollow steel tube, referred to above, is placed in the latter, the lower end, 

 which is of the same diameter as the bulb of the thermometer, i)rojecting a few 

 inches below the end of the tube, and the whole is driven into the soil to the tlesired 

 depth. The rod is then withdrawn and the thermometer is lowered into its place. 

 "The bulb of the thermometer will then come in contact on all sides with the soil 

 at the depth indicated on the tube. The mercury of the thermometer will reach a 

 constant level, so that a reading can be taken in 10 or 15 minutes." 



The electric method of Whitney and Means for the determination of the 

 saltcontent of soils, K. CiEDUoiz [Zhur. Opuit)i. Agron., 1 {1900), Xo. l,j^).21-4S). — 

 This is a critical discussion of the electric method proposed by Whitney and Means 

 for the determination of the salt content of soils. — p. fireman. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Losses in farm manures and the value of nitrogen of such manures, E. B. 



VooKMEEs ( Xcir Jcrtift/ Sax. liul. 150, pp. 27) . — This bulletin discusses, from the practi- 

 cal standpoint of increase in crop, the losses which occur in farm manures; the rela- 

 tive usefulne.ss of the nitrogen of fresh and leached manures; and the comparative 

 value of nitrogen in commercial forms and in natural manures. The plan of ex])eri- 

 ment lias been described and the results partially rejjorted in a ])revions pul)licatiou 

 (K. S. K., 12, pp. 321, 322). 



"Solid manure exposed for an average of 109 days lost 37. t) lbs. of nitrogen from 

 every 100 lbs. contained in it, 51.9 of phosphoric acid from every 100, and 47.1 of 

 potash from every 100. 



"Solid and liiiuid manure (•ond)ined, exposed for an average of 109 days, lost 51 

 lbs. of nitrogen from every 100 lbs. contained in it, 51.1 of phosi>ln)ric arid from 

 every 100, and 01.1 lbs. of pijtash from every 100. . . . 



"On the average for 3 croi)S, 1 of corn and 2 of oats, the increa.sed yield from 

 the application of fresh solid and liquid manure combined was 3.38 times as great 



