124 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Soil temperatures, W. Freak {Pennsylvania iSta. Rjyt. lf<93,pp. 153- 

 IGO, :Jt)'>-:J:^S). — A record is j^iveu of tri-daily observatious during 1892 

 with thermometers at the surfaee and at depths of irom 1 to 24 in. 

 The following is a summary of observations during the growing season : 



Soil temjjeraturen, April to Seplcmher, 1892. 



Depth. 



o JP_ 



At surface 84 (July 29) ... . 



liii.rteep 83 (July29).... 



:iiii. deep ' 79 (July 29).... 



C in. deep 1 76. 5 (July 26) 



12 in. deep 75 ( Julv 26) . . . . 



24in.deep 71 (July 29, 30) 



Lowest. 



o ^_ 



32 (Apr. 10-12). 



33.5 (Apr. 17) 



32.5 (Apr. 1) 



32.5 (Apr. 1) 



33 (Apr. 1) 



34 (Apr. 1, 2) .. 



Daily 

 mean. 



Menn 

 daily 

 range. 



Greatest daily ranj^e. 



° F. \ ° F. \ ° F. 



61.4 j 7. 93 ! 20 (May 31," June 13). 



61.0 I 8.4U I 17 (May 31). 

 61.3 4.82 11 (Apr. 3). 



61.1 2.90 8. 5 (May 2). 

 60.9 1.30 5. 5 (Apr. 3). 



59.2 0.29 2 (Apr. 3, 4). 



Investigations concerning the influence of plant cover on the temperature 



and moisture of the soil, E. Wollny {Forsch. Geh. (ujr. Plujs., 27 {1894), No. 1 and 

 2, pp. lf.S-202). 



A preliminary, series of experiments tOAvard the amelioration of alkaline 

 soils, F. T. Shutt (Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, 189.% pp. 17-23, pi. 1). — Aujilyse,s having 

 shown the presence of niagnesiuiiisul2)hate in 8am])]e8 of alkali soils from Manitoba, 

 experiments were undertaken which sliowed that the addition of as much as 5 per 

 cent of magnesium sulphate to otherwise fertile soil prevented the growth of peas 

 and corn. Carbonate of lime appeared to correct the alkalinity of these soils to 

 some extent, though slowly, while lime was still more effective. 



Pentosans in soils, G. dkCualmot (Aincr. Chem. Jonr., 16 (1894), Xo. 3, p. 229). — 

 The results of determinatious of humus and pentosans in three samples of soils are 

 given as follows: 



Pentosans in soils. 



Kind of soil. 



Wood soil 



Garden soil 



Poor sandy aoil 



Humus. 



Per cent. 



23.42 



9.85 



2.68 



Pentosans. 



Per cent. 

 0.75 

 0.39 

 0.04 



Pentosans 

 in humus. 



Per cent. 

 3.2 

 4.0 

 1.5 



The presence of pentosans in soils is due to their strong resistance to putrefaction. 

 Their occurrence in humus soils has already been noted by A. Hcbert (E. 8. R., 4, 

 p. 87). 



The geological survey of England and "Wales (.lour. Hoi/. Arjr. Soc. England, ser. 

 3, 5 (J894), No. 18, pp. 380-394). — Excerpts bearing on agricultural soils. 



FERTILIZERS. 



The action of the gaseous decomposition products of decaying 

 organic matter on phosphoric acid and phosphates of lime, J. H. 



YoG'EL, [Berlin: Paul Parei/, 1893., pp. 00). — This is a second report^ 

 on investigations undertaken originally to determine (1) how much 

 nitrogen may be fixed by gypsum alone and mixed with free or Svater- 



1 The first was published in Jour, Landw., 36 (1888), pp. 247-278. 



