320 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



The origin of vanillin in soils — vanillin in wheat and in the water in 

 which wheat seedlings have grown, M. X. Sullivan (Jour. Indus, and Engin. 

 Vhciii., 6 {I'JL'i), Ao. 11 , pp. !>JD-!J2J). — The occurrence of vanillin or of a mother 

 substance of vanillin, such as coniferin, is reported in considerable amounts in 

 wheat and in the water in which wheat seetllings had been grown. It was also 

 found in rotten oak wood, pineapple pulp and parings, and in the hot water 

 exti'act of lawn grass. It was more abundant during the earlj' growth of the 

 wheat plant than in the ungerminated seed. 



The general conclusion is that the vanillin in soils has its origin in vegetable 

 debris and to a less extent in direct excretion of cell sloughing by growing 

 plants. 



Antagonism between anions as affecting soil bacteria. — II, Nitrification, 

 C. B. LiPMAN and P. S. Kuroess {Centhl. Bald. [ctC], 2. Aht., J,l (l'J14), No. 

 11-17, pp. JfSO-JiU; figs. G; ahs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 106 (19U), No. 

 623, I, p. 1114)- — 111 continuation of previous investigations on the effects of 

 alkali salts on bacteria in soils (E. S. R., 28, p. 719), the authors conducted 

 nitrification investigations from which they draw the following conclusions : 



" Marked antagonism exists between the anions of NaaCOs, Na2S0i, and NaOl 

 when a soil's nitrifying power is the criterion. Such antagonism is obtained 

 when the salts are employed in both toxic, one toxic and one stimulating, and 

 both stimulating concentrations. Even in cases of combinations of salts in 

 which both are toxic not only normal nitrification but stimulated nitrification 

 may be induced. 



" The following are the combinations of salts which have given the most 

 marked antagonisms, often being accompanied by marked stimulation: (a) 

 When 0.2 per cent NaCl is the toxic salt an addition of 0.05 i^er cent Na2S04 or 

 an addition of 0.025 per cent Na^COs, (b) when 0.35 per cent Na=SOi is the 

 toxic salt an addition of 0.15 per cent NaCl or an addition of 0.025 per cent 

 NasCOa, and (c) when 0.05 per cent Ka2C03 is the toxic salt an addition of 

 0.4 per cent Na2S04 or an addition of 0.2 per cent NaCl. While these are the 

 combinations producing the largest amounts of nitrates, very large amounts of 

 the latter are often produced by much larger additions of the second salt to the 

 toxic salt used as a constant. 



" These results when correlated with similar results on ammonification and 

 nitrogen fixation obtained by us and also with those obtained on the higher 

 plants, along similar lines, give definite indications for the combination of 

 alkali salts as a measure in alkali land reclamation." 



Recent inoculation experiments on virgin upland moor soil with various 

 cultures of legume bacteria, H. von Fellitzen and E. Nystrom (Jour. Latidw., 

 62 (1914), No. 3, pp. 285-292, pis. 5).— The relative effectiveness of various 

 commercial cultures was tested in the experiments reported. 



Studies on soil protozoa.— rll, Some of the activities of protozoa, A. Cun- 

 ningham {Cenm. Bakt. [etc.'], 2. Abt., 42 (1914), No. 1-4, pp. S-27).— Continu- 

 ing previous work (E. S. E., 31, p. 26) the author reports studies of (1) the 

 dilution method and its application in the enumeration of protozoa in soils, 

 (2) the effect of protozoa on the numbers of bacteria in ammonifying solutions 

 and on ammonification in solution tests, and (3) the effect of inoculations of 

 protozoa on the bacterial content of partially sterilized soils. 



It was found that the dilution method when applied to the enumeration of 

 protozoa in soils gave rather irregular results which are only relative. It was 

 also found that heating to 58° C. killed a considerable number of the encysted 

 protozoa, and it is thought to be imixtssible to fix upon a temperature which 

 will destroy all active protozoa in soils and leave the cysts perfectly uninjured. 



