SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 127 



effect was so decided that most of the phiuts were killed within 4 weeks. On 

 reseeding, howevei", the plants made a normal growth. 



On the basis of increased yield of grain, the calcinm cyanamid showed with 

 wheat from 68.2 to S0.2 per cent and with rye from 30.8 to 64.1 i^er cent of the 

 effect of sodium nitrate. On the basis of total yield, the figures with wheat 

 were from 61.8 to 68.4 per cent and with rye from 44.8 to 66.5 per cent. On the 

 average, therefore, the wheat was more benefited by the cyanamid than the rye. 



With oats the increase of yield was from 98.2 to 99.1 per cent of that of 

 sodium nitrate for the grain and from 91.6 to 93.9 per cent for the total yield. 

 The nitrogen content of the straw was uniformly greater with calcium cyanamid 

 than with any of the other forms of nitrogen. Ordinary cyanamid and that 

 impregnated with oily substances gave exactly the same results with oats. 



The calcium nitrate was fully equal to sodium nitrate with rye and oats. 

 With wheat, however, especially as regards the yield of grain, it was less 

 effective than the sodium nitrate. 



The use of dicyandiamid caused a decided poisoning of oats and reduced the 

 yield below that obtained upon the no-nitrogen pots. Dicyandiamidin produced 

 similar and even more marked results. 



The new nitrogenous fertilizers — calcium cyanamid and nitrate of lime, 

 A. D. Hall (Jour. Bd. Agr. [London], 16 {1910), No. 12, pp. 1006-1008) .—Ex- 

 periments at Rothamsted comparing mixtures with superphosphate of nitrate of 

 soda, nitrate of lime, sulphate of ammonia, and calcium cyanamid are reported, 

 showing that if there is any difference as regards effectiveness on the Rotham- 

 sted soU between these sources of nitrogen it does not exceed 10 per cent. " The 

 Rothamsted soil has no special peculiarity, and suits any of these fertilizers 

 indifferently, but on other soils — very light sands, heavy clays, soils very short of 

 lime — secondary considerations, which do not come into play in these experi- 

 ments, will make one or other of these fertilizers the preferable manure." 



Ammonium sulphate as a fertilizer, H. G. Soderbaum (Meddel. Centralanst. 

 Forsoksv. Jordbruksomrddet, No, 26, pp. 11). — Pot experiments extending over 

 a number of years and comparing ammonium sulphate and sodium nitrate on 

 oats, barley, wheat, rye, carrots, and potatoes are reported. The ammonium 

 sulphate was used at rates of 50, 100, and 150 kg. of nitrogen per hectare 

 (44.0, 89.2, and 133.8 lbs. per acre). 



Ammonium sulphate gave the be.st results in the case of oats, especially when 

 used in connection with bone meal or Thomas slag. Taking the action of 

 sodium nitrate as 100, that of ammonium sulphate varied between 90.8 and 

 195.8, the variation with ammonium sulphate being as a rule much greater 

 than with sodium nitrate. In the case of barley a mixture of equal parts of 

 sodium nitrate and ammonium sulphate gave better results than .sodium nitrate 

 alone, whereas ammonium sulphate as the exclusive source of nitrogen gave 

 much poorer results. With rye ammonium sulphate was somewhat superior to 

 sodium nitrate, but with wheat it was slightly inferior. The two forms of 

 nitrogen were about equally effective on carrots and potatoes. 



The modern nitrogen industry (Engrais, 25 (1910), No. 11, pp. 291i, 295). — 

 This is a note on a report by Guye on the importance of the nitrogen com- 

 pounds in agriculture, the amounts consumed for this purpose, and the progress 

 which has recently been made in the manufacture of nitrogen compounds from 

 the air. 



The nitrogen of the air. — Waterfalls and agriculture, L. Grandeau (Rev. 

 G6n. Chilli., IS (1910), No. 5, pp. 8!!>-92). — This is a brief account of the history, 

 present status, and future of the nitrate industry of Norway, with notes on 

 the value and use of calcium nitrate as a fertilizex*. 



