SOILS FERTILIZERS. 121 



states that " Maxwell's aspartie acid method [E. S. R., 11, p. 507] is oonsidereil 

 the most useful, aud the cue which approximates most closely in showing the 

 amount of the necessary elements available for cane crops." 



Action and movements of water in soil, W. P. Gamble (Abs. in Mark Lane 

 JJ.ri)r(s.s, JOS (IHIO), No. .'/OSG, p. 63). — The various conditions affecting the 

 movement of water in the soil and its utilization by plants are discussed. 



The action of commercial fertilizers on percolation of water in soils, E. 

 Blanck (Linidir. Jalirb., 38 {1909), No. 5-6, pp. S63-S69 ; abs. in Chem. Zentbl., 

 1909, II, \o. 22, pp. ]888, 1889; Clicm. Abs., J, (1910), No. 9, p. 1215).— In the 

 investigations reported it was found that the addition of kainit, superphosphate, 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, caustic lime, and calcium carbonate to 

 a sandy loam soil containing 10 to 11 per cent of water, at rates of 1 per cent 

 of the soil, decidedly accelerated percolation in all cases except with nitrate 

 of soda, \^ hich decreased it. The increases were especially marked in case of 

 superphosphate and caustic lime. In soils containing 1 per cent of water, only 

 the lime accelerated percolation, all other materials decreasing it. With air- 

 dry soils the capacity to retain water was less with all fertilized soils except 

 those receiving lime than with unfertilized soils. Soils treated with nitrate of 

 soda showed the lowest water capacity. 



The moisture of the soil, E. Voglino (Coltivatore, 55 {1909), No. 29, pp. 

 70-75). — Experiments are reported which show that a dry soil is less favorable 

 to the action of commercial fertilizers than a moist soil. 



On the dry soil an application of mineral superphosphate at the rate of 620 

 lbs., ammonium .sulphate 124 lbs., and potassium chlorid 124 lbs. per acre gave 

 an increase of not quite 14 per cent over the unfertilized plat, and the same 

 fertilizers minus the potassium chlorid gave an increase of 9 per cent over 

 the unfeitillzed plat, but these small increases were obtained at an economic 

 loss of $14.30 and $10.40, respectively. On the moist soil the same applications 

 of fertilizers gave increases over the unfertilized plat of 106 and 97 per cent, 

 or an economic gain of $2S.P).5 and $30.50. respectively. 



Determination of assimilable potash in soils, Bieler-Chatelan {Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 150 {1910), No. 11, pp. 716-719; abs. in Rev. Sci. 

 [Paris], 48 {1910), I, No. 13, p. 1/13). — Experiments with natural prairie soil 

 led to the conclusion that extraction with water containing carbon dioxid 

 affords a measure of the assimilable potash of the soil, this agreeing closely 

 with the results obtained in culture experiments. As a rule such soils con- 

 taining less than 0.15 to 0.2 parts of potash per thousand parts of soil are 

 appreciably benefited by the api)lication of potassic fertilizers in connection 

 with the necessary amounts of phosphatic fertilizers. In calcareous soils a 

 little less potash is dissolved in the carbonated water than in noncalcareous 

 soils. Contrary to the common belief that clay soils are the best provided with 

 potash, certain light soils were found in these exjieriments to be particularly 

 rich in this constituent. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 22, p. 220). 



The functions and value of soil bacteria, K. F. Kellerman {U. /?. Dcpt. 

 .Agr. Yearbook 1909, pp. 219-226, figs. 2). — This article describes the general 

 character of soil bacteria and discusses the role of different groups of bacteria 

 iu the soil, the action of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria, and the fixation 

 of atmospheric nitrogen by bacteria. Attention is called to the need of further 

 research on the interaction of different groups of soil bacteria, and the effect on 

 bacterial activity of methods of cultivation, crop rotation, fertilization, and other 

 methods of handling the soil is pointed out. 



The author believes that " by proper methods of tillage, crop rotation, or green 

 manuring, and even by the application of fertilizers, the interaction between 

 prevailing soil conditions and biological phenomena may be modified so as to pro- 



