SOILS FERTILIZERS. 323 



Antagonism between anions as affecting barley yields on a clay adobe 

 soil, C. B. LiPMAN and W. F. Gericke {U. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 

 Jf {1915), No. 3, pp. 201-21S, pi. l).—Pot culture experiments with barley ou a 

 clay adobe soil mixed with sodium chlorid, sodium sulphate, and sodium car- 

 bonate, singly and in different combinations, are reported, the results of which 

 establish for the first time, in the author's opinion, the existence of antagonism 

 between anions for barley in a clay adobe soil. Two crops wore grown in suc- 

 cession in the same pots, allowing the soil a rest period of three months. 



Antagonism was shown between sodium chlorid and sodium sulphate and be- 

 tween sodium chlorid and sodium carbonate in the second crop. None was shown 

 in the first crop. There was slight antagonism between sodium carbonate and 

 , sodium sulphate in the first crop but it is considered questionable whether any 

 existed at all in the second crop. 



In testing the toxicity of single salts, it was found that 0.1 per cent each of 

 sodium chlorid and sodium sulphate stimulated barley in the first crop and was 

 toxic in the second crop. Sodium carbonate did not manifest toxicity, but on 

 the contrary showed stimulation even up to concentrations equal to 0.3 per cent 

 of the dry weight of the soil. 



la an experiment similar to these, in which sodium sulphate was used in con- 

 stant toxic quantities of 0.4 per cent and calcium sulphate in A^arying quantities, 

 it was found that the calcium sulphate strongly antagonized the sodium sulphate 

 in both the first and second crops. "At least so far as some seasons are con- 

 cerned, small quantities of gypsum are as eflicient for the pui-pose as larger 

 quantities, if not more so. . . . 



" It would appear from the above results that it would not be a difiicult mat- 

 ter to establish a mode of treatment which would involve the neutralization of 

 the toxic effects of any one or even two of the alkali salts by another alkali 

 salt. ... It is clear that in a heavy soil, at least by additions of gypsum at 

 the rate of about 2 tons to the acre or common salt in smaller quantity, we 

 cou'.d change the soil from a very poor into a normally producing one, despite 

 the fact that we have veiy considerably increased the total salt content thereof." 



A list of refei'ences to literature bearing on the subject is appended. 



Antagonism, between anions as affecting soil bacteria. — III, Nitrogen fix- 

 ation, C. B. LiPMAN and P. S. BtjtvGess (Centbl. BaJct. [eic], 2. Al)t., 42 (1914), 

 No. 17-18, pp. 502-509). — In further studies of the effects of alkali salts on 

 bacteria in soils (E. S. E., 32, p. 320), nitrogen fixation investigations were 

 conducted from which the following conclusions are drawn : 



" Very slight, perhaps questionable antagonism between anions occurs for the 

 nitrogen fixing flora of . . . sandy soil when Na2C03 and NaCl are mixed, 

 whether one or the other is used as a constant toxic factor. The same is true 

 when NaCl and Na^SOi are combined, provided the first-named salt is the con- 

 stant toxic factor. It is not true when Na2S04 is used as the constant toxic 

 factor. No antagonism obtains between Na2C03 and Na2S04 no matter how the 

 salts are combined and no matter which of them is used as the constant toxic 

 factor. The concentrations at which nitrogen fixation ceases are lower when 

 the salts are mixed than when they are used singly. 



"The nitrogen fixing flora differ totally in respect to antagonism between 

 anions from the ammonifying and the nitrifying flora of the same soil. The 

 resistance of these nitrogen-fixing flora, however, to salt effects is far greater 

 than that of the other flora named." 



Eelation of carbon bisulphid to soil organisms and plant growth ( Wiscon^ 

 sin Sta. Bui. 250 {1915), pp. 18, 19).— It was found in experiments by E. B. 

 Fred that the effect of carbon bisulphid«on plant growth is not a constant factor, 



516G°— No. 4—15 3 



