WATER — SOILS. 833 



drawn up from below with tlu' water and left on the surface as this evaporates. Of 

 these salts the most abundant in Wyoming is sodium sulphate." The ne.xt in inijKjr- 

 tanct' is magnesium suliihalc. Tlu're are also found sodium carbonate an<l (;hlorid, as 

 well as (ither salts in small ami lunts. A nund)er of original and compiled analyses 

 of samples from the deposits referred to alxive are reported. 



The rise of alkali salts to the soil surface, E. W. Hii,(iAHi) {Sdence, n. sa:, 

 15 {1902), No. 373, pp. 314, 315). — Accunuilations of alkali at and near the surface 

 in California are considered to be largely due to leaky ditches. The difficulty of 

 k'aching out alkali is referred to. 



The chemical exploration of Belgian soils, A. Petermaxn {Bui. A(jr. [i?r».s.Ws], 

 17 {/:>01), Xti. '!, j>)>. !>7.'>-J0()i;). — The results of chemical and physical examination 

 of 15 sampU'S of soil are rei)orted. 



Investigations on the physical properties of soils, A. MirscnEKLicii {Lttmhv. 

 Jalirl).,,iO {1901), No. 3, pp. .i67-^^.5, c/««r<s^). ^The author briefly descri)>es the prin- 

 cipal methods of soil analysis commonly employed in Europe, discussing the physical 

 and chemical properties of soils and other factors of plant growth, and calling attention 

 to the importance of studying the volume and nature of the soil spaces with reference to 

 the water supply rather than the soil particles themselves. In treating the latter 

 subject he distinguishes between the total surface area of the soil, which is defined 

 as the sum of the surface areas of the soil particles, and the surface area of the soil 

 aggregates or micelL-c. The utilization of the determination of heat evolved when 

 st)ils are moistened {Bendzmujawannc) (E. S. R., 10, p. 423) in estimating the vol- 

 ume of space and water capacity, hygroscopicity, capillarity, etc., of soils is explained 

 and tables and curves are given showing the relation between these properties in 

 different kinds of soil, the data being calculated by a formula based on Rodewald's 

 hyi)othesis.^ The general physical characteristics, productiveness, and the Benel- 

 zuntjswanm; of a large number of soils are given, showing a certain relation between 

 the last two properties. 



A comparison of the results obtained by different methods of mechanical 

 soil analysis, H. BucnNEK {Lcuuhc. Vers. Stat., 56 {1001), No. J-3, pp. 141~14S). — 

 The results of a comparison of the Hilgard, Fadejeff-Williams, Ki'ihn, and Meyer 

 methods on very clayey, medium clayey, and sandy soils are rei)orted. The wide 

 differences in the results obtained indicate that the analyses made l)v these methods 

 are not comparable. 



Silting flask and sieves for the mechanical analysis of soils and clays, 

 A. G.\wAL0wsKi {Ztsclir. Analyt. Chem., 40 {1901), No. 12, pp. 776-781, figs. 2). — 

 A simple apparatus for the mechanical analysis of soils, etc., by elutriation, and a 

 device consisting of concentric sieves of different degrees of fineness for the (|uick 

 separation of the different grades of soil particles are descri])ed, Avith results (jf a 

 comparison of these pieces of apparatus with the Nobel apparatus. 



The temperature of the soil and the surface of the ground, 1). A. Seeley 

 (.l/o. Wcatlier Rev., 29 {1901), No. 11, pp. .50/-J(9.?).— Observations with minimum 

 thermometers are reported which show that the temperature on tlie bare ground 

 was 2.5° lower in a swale than on a hilltop about 15 ft. above; 4.2° lower in a swale 

 without air drainage than in one having good air drainage; 4° lower in clover 2.5 

 in. high, and 10° lower in grass 6 in. high than on bare ground, the temperature 

 being api)arently more dependent upon the height of the plant and its thickness on 

 the ground than on its kind; and 1.5° lower in dark-colored grass on a lawn than on 

 light colored, and 10° lower than on a hard gravel roadbed near by. 



"Temperatures taken on dark colored muck, a lighter colored loam, and a very 

 light clay during an afternoon" in summer were, respectively, 110°, 101.5°, and 97°. 

 Keatlings were also taken early the next morning, and the corresponding tempera- 

 tures were 61.5°, G0°, and C)3.5°. 



iZtschr, Physikal. Chem., 33 (1900), p. 593. 



