96 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



In a paper on the Nitrifying Powers of Soils as Indices to Their Fertility, 

 by C. B. Lipman, attention was called to the fact that good soils commonly 

 have a high nitrifying power but that it is uncertain whether this nitrifying 

 power is a cause or an effect. Unusually fertile spots of soil in certain grain 

 fields in California were found to possess a high nitrifying power, and also 

 more citric-acid-soluble phosphoric acid and potash than the surrounding area. 

 The nitrifying power was as much as six times greater than that in poor soils. 

 It was suggested that the spots possessing high nitrifying power were perhaps 

 the result of the admixture of animal feces, burnt straw, or of a balanced soil 

 solution. Evidence was presented that a low nitrifying power of soils may 

 cause various physiological diseases in plants. 



According to the findings of G. S. Fraps, who read a paper on Nitrification 

 and Soil Fertility, nitric nitrogen in soils is in general proportional to the total 

 nitrogen. If soils are heavily cropped the nitric nitrogen becomes dispropor- 

 tionately low, indicating that some parts of the soil nitrogen are more easily 

 nitrified than others. 



W. G. Sackett, In a paper on The Pigment of Azotobacter chroococcum, stated 

 that peculiar brown spots are appearing on the surface of soils in various locali- 

 ties in Colorado and are increasing in extent. These spots are rich in nitrates 

 and are toxic to trees and other plants. The nitrates are apparently formed in 

 situ. A. chroococcum is abundant in the periphery of such spots. Experiments 

 with agar media, difirering from each other in the absence of one of the salts 

 contained in the soil of the brown spots, showed that a dark brown pigment was 

 always developed in the presence of carbon and sodium nitrate. It appears that 

 the color of the soil spots is due to the solution of the pigment of A. chroococcum 

 by the soil water. 



C. G. Williams presented some recent studies on Variation in Pure Lines of 

 Wheat, during which it was found that the length of head in pure lines of breed- 

 ing is apparently not a hereditary character. Attempts to fix a tendency to 

 produce large or small kernels gave variable but for the most part negative 

 results. A long-continued effort to Increase the protein content of wheat by 

 selection within a pure line yielded no encouragement for such work. 



The claims of The Small Field Laboratory and Its Atmosphere of Research 

 were presented by D. Fairchild. In large laboratories the investigator is ex- 

 posed to too much noise, distracting occurrences, and interruptions, due to 

 students and casual visitors. He also becomes burdened with administrative 

 details, all quite foreign to research. Moreover, the laboratory is far removed 

 from the source of the material which he is studying. The small laboratory on 

 the contrary is quiet. There is no unnecessary apparatus or interruption or 

 executive duties. It may be placed in the midst of the material to be studied. 



In a paper on the Relationships of Experiment Station Work and Agricultural 

 Extension, F. B. Linfield presented a number of considerations showing how 

 these lines of work come in contact with each other in various parts of the agri- 

 cultural field. 



The County Experiment Farm was discussed by C. E. Thorne, who recounted 

 the difficulties in attempts to carry on cooperative experiments with farmers, 

 and urged that it is much better to have county farms where work can be 

 prosecuted continuously. In Ohio the experiment farms are under the joint 

 supervision of the College of Agriculture and the Ohio Station. 



H. P. Armsby presented a paper on the Influence of Quantity of Feed Upon 

 Digestion. It has been found that the amount of methane formed per kilogram 

 of dry matter eaten is much greater on light than on heavy rations. This indi- 

 cates an increased bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates. A larger percentage 

 of the feed energy was found to be excreted in the urine on light rations, the 



