218 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.40 



The soils of the county are largely of glacial origin and hclong chiefly ti- 

 the Glacial and Loessial and the Glacial Lake and Kiver Terrace provinces. 

 The underlying rock is prevailingly limestone or shale. Excluding murk, 12 

 soil types of 10 series are mapped. The heavy-textured soils predominate, Miami 

 silty clay loam, Clyde silty clay loam, and Brookston silty clay loam occupy- 

 ing 43.6, 18.5, and 1G.G per cent of the total area, respectively. 



Fertilizer trials, Wentzville experiment field, M. F. Mili.it. and F. L. DULET 

 {Missouri Sta. Bui. 151 (1918), pp. 23, figs. 5).— This reports the results of ex- 

 periments made daring the period of 1913 to 1917 on Putnam silt loam soil to 

 determine the Immediate effects of steamed bone meal, acid phosphate, and two 

 grades of mixed fertilizers on corn, oats, wheat, and clover grown in rotation 

 (with cowpeaa substituted for clover when the latter failed) and on wheat 

 grown continuously. The crops are considered Individually and the net returns 

 computed on the basis of both 1013 and 101S prices for fertilizers and crops. 

 The following conclusions were reached: 



only the lighter applications of add phosphate and hone meal paid a net 



return when applied to corn. Thi< return was small, dtie in part to two very 



dry & ad one exceptional!; wet season. Exceptionally dry weather 



during July and August preceded by » her during May and June was 



med unfavorable to the action of the fertilizers. The application of 160 to 



I Lbs, per acre of acid phosphate, bone meal, or one of the highly phosphatic 

 mixed fertilizers applied in advance of the corn planter with a fertilizer grain 

 drill is said usually to prove profitable on this Boil, as well as a smaller appli- 

 cation, 60 to 00 lhs., of the same fertilizers made in the rev with a fertilizer 

 attachment on the com planter. 



■ (! on a three-year :r the use " r f< tilizer on oats was not accom- 



panied by paying returns, due partly to unfavorable seasons for oat-, since very 

 good returns were obtained in the . when weather conditions were 



favorable. Clover and Lrrass following oats may show returns as large or larj 

 than the oats crop. 



Fertilizing wdieat produced excellent net returns In practically all cases 

 where this crop was grown in rotation with others, while wheat grown con- 

 tinuously for five years and fertilized each year gave a much lower yield and 

 average net return. The average yield of wheat grown in rotation was .". btt per 

 acre more than where wheat was grown continuously. The returns from all the 

 trials with wheat Indicated that there was little choice between acid phosphl 

 hone meal, and the medium-grade mixed fertilizer, each giving substantial net 

 returns at prewar prices and much hitter profits at the 101*5 prices. It was 

 shown further that the larger applications were not as profitable, on the whole 

 as the smaller ones, the average net returns at prewar prices from all fertilizer 

 treatments on wheat grown in rotation being $4.16 for the smaller applications 

 and $2.17 for the larger ones. At 1018 prices the net returns were $0.46 and $6.45, 

 respectively. 



"These wheat experiments seem to warrant the use of from 125 to 200 lhs. 

 per acre of acid phosphate, steamed hone meal, or one of the highly phosphatic 

 mixed fertilizers, limiting the use of potash In the mixed fertilizers during the 

 potash shortage to 2 per cent or less. On lands where the supply of nitrogen 

 and organic matter is kept up, acid phosphate or highly steamed hone meal is 

 doubtless t" he preferred." 



The influence of ammonium sulphate on the germination and the growth 

 of barley in sand and soil cultures kept at different moisture contents and at 

 various osmotic concentrations of the soil solution. M. I. WOLKOFT (Soil Set, 

 5 (WIS), No. 6, pp. 421-479. fif)*. 6). — This paper descrihes investigations con- 

 ducted at the New Jersey Experiment Stations on the effect of ammonium sul- 



