SOILS FEETILIZEKS. 125 



Fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by means of boron compounds, I, A. 

 Stahler aufl J. J. Elbkrt (Jicr. Dent. Chein. Gcscll., 46 {1913), No. 10, pp. 

 2060-2077, fif/s. 6; abs. in Set. Abs., Sect. A—Phys., 17 {lOlJf), No. 8, pp. 496, 

 497). — Experiments to determine the conditions under which boron nitrid can 

 be best obtained from naturally occurring boron compounds are reported. "At 

 normal pressures the amount of nitrogen absorbed per gram of boron is much 

 greater with borocalcite than with boron trioxid ; only at very high pressures 

 are l»etter results obtained with boron trioxid than with borocalcite." 



Synthesis of ammonia from aluminum nitrid, C. Matignon {Chem. Ztg., 

 3S {1914), No. S5, pp. 909, 910). — The technical efficiency and commercial possi- 

 bilities of this process of preparing ammonia are briefly discussed. 



Influence of various conditions on the oxidation of nitrog'en in the voltaic 

 arc, A. Sapozhnikova, A. Gudima, and V. Kutovogo {ZInir. Riiss. Fi^. Khiin. 

 ObshcJi., Chast Khim., 45 {1913), No. 5, pp. 1076-1091, figs. 2; abs. in Sci. Abs., 

 Sect. A — Plnjs., 17 {1914), No. 8, pp. ^95, 406). — Experiments with an arc pass- 

 ing between carbon electrodes to determine the influence of air supply and 

 moisture on the yield of nitric acid are reported. As the volume of air in- 

 creased the ratio of this volume to the power consumed also increased. 



A yield of 78 gm. of nitric acid per kilowatt hour was obtained. Moist air 

 gave higher yields than dry. Carbon electrodes are preferred from an indus- 

 trial standpoint especially if coated electrolytically with nickel on the sides 

 to prevent burning away. 



Catalysis of cyanamid and its importance in agriculture, H. Kappen {Die 

 Eatolifse clcs CijanumUIs und Hire Bcclcutung fiir die Landicirtscliaft. Jena, 

 1913, pp. 119; abs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Abt., 41 {1914), No. 9-10, pp. 283, 

 284)- — In experiments with various soil colloids and metallic oxid and hydroxid 

 as catalyzators of calcium cyanamid, it was found that the most active sub- 

 stance in producing urea from the cj-anamid was manganese peroxid. There 

 seemed to be a direct relation between cyanamid cleavage and the amount of 

 organic matter and the growth of fungi and bacteria in the soil. 



The formation of urea from the cyanamid is considered of special agricul- 

 tural importance because the urea has been found to be very effective as a 

 nitrogenous fertilizer. 



Action of carbon dioxid on crude calcium cyanamid [nitrolime], C. 

 Manuelli {Ann. Cliim. Appl. [Rome], 1 {1914), PP- 493, 494; abs. in Jour. Soc. 

 Chem. Indus., 33 {1914), No. 18, p. 933).—" Some of the difficulties met with in 

 the use of nitrolime as a fertilizer have been attributed to the presence of 

 free lime, and it has been suggested that the latter might be converted into 

 carbonate by substituting carbon dioxid for nitrogen in the furnace during 

 the cooling of the nitrolime. In two experiments in which nitrolime was 

 cooled from 800° to 480° C. in one-half hour and from 800° to 500° C. in one 

 hour in a current of carbon dioxid there were, however, losses of 12 per cent 

 and 29 per cent, respectively, of the total nitrogen of the nitrolime." 



The influence of fineness upon the availability of bone meal, S. S. Peck 

 {Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 6 {1914), No. 11, pp. 922-926; abs. in Chem. 

 Abs., 8 {1914), No. 23, p. SS3.3).— This article reports the results of attempts to 

 determine the availability of bone meal of different degrees of fineness by 

 means of the rate of ammonification and nitrification of the organic nitrogen of 

 the bone meal, and also by measuring the amount of nhosohoric acid rendered 

 soluble by bacterial action in sand cultures-'. 



The results indicate that there is a direct correlation between the fineness 

 and rate of ammonification and nitrification, and that the solubility of bone 

 phosphate is directly influenced by bacterial action as indicated by ammonifi- 

 actiou and nitrification. 



