SOILS FEBTILIZEES. 511 



immediate coastline of British Coluiiil)ia liavin;^ a climate of marine type such 

 as that of northwestern Europe. 



Salton Sea water, A. E. Vinson and C. N. Catlin {Arizona Sta. Rpt. 1913, 

 pp. 272-27.^). — In continuation of previous examinations (E. S. R., 20, p. 415), 

 a complete analysis was made of a sample of Salton Sea water taken June 18, 

 1913, at the usual place southwest of Mecca, California. 



The results show that from June 10, 1912, to June 18, 1913, the total solids 

 in the water increased from 84G.r.5 parts to 1.002.5G parts per 100,000. The 

 water may now be considered as a 1 per cent brine. As in the previous year, 

 calcium again showed a marked decrease, and the figures indicate that po- 

 tassium is disappearing at a rapidly increasing rate. The ratio of potassium 

 to sodium and total solids was 1 : 94 : 288 respectively in 1913, whereas the 

 ratio in 1912 was 1 : 71.1 : 222 and in 1911 1 : 59.8 : 188. 



The Salton Sea, D. T. MacDougal (Amcr. Jour. 8cL, Jf. ser., 39 (1915), No. 

 231, pp. 2.U-230, fig.'i. 6). — This article is condensed from the above. 



Chemical composition of the water of Salton Sea and its annual variation 

 in concentration, 1906-1913, W. H. Ross and A. E. Vinson (Carnegie Inst. 

 M'asliiuffton Pub. 193 (1914), PP- 33-JfS).— The investigations upon which the 

 articles here referred to are based have already been noted from other sources 

 (see above). 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



Distribution of soil particles, Duke of Bedford and S. IT. Pickering (TTo- 

 hurn E.rpt. Fruit Farm Rpt., 14 (1914), pp. 37-45, fig. 1; ahs. in Intermit. Inst. 

 Agr. [Romcl, Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 5 (1914), No. 9, pp. 1164, 

 1165). — A series of experiments to determine the influence of the rainfall on 

 the distribution of the clay particles in a soil are reported. The samples were 

 taken at monthly intervals at three depths of G in. each from a soil which had 

 received moderate applications of artificial fertilizers for 18 years. 



The amounts of suspended matter, after shaking the samples in water at 

 intervals for 24 hours and allowing to settle for four hours, were found to 

 vary considerably, the variation being greatest in the top 6 in. and least in the 

 third G in. The latter contained more fine particles than the upper two layers 

 together and a larger proportion of these was true clay. With one exception, 

 an intimate relationship was found between the relative proportions of fine 

 matter in the top 6 in. of soil and the inches of rainfall in the preceding 20 

 days, a larger proportion being found in the top soil after an increased rain- 

 fall and a smaller proportion after a decreased fall. The rainfall records for 

 the preceding 30 days showed a similar but not so marked an agreement with 

 the proportion of fine matter, from which it is concluded that the effect of the 

 rainfall had partially worn off after 20 days. 



It was found that if the upper and. second depths of 6 in. are alone con- 

 sidered, the relative proportions of fine particles in the top layer do not follow 

 the rainfall records so closely as when the whole IS in. are considered, from 

 which it is concluded that the effect of rain on the fine particles extends below 

 the top 12 in. It is further concluded " that the actual amount of fine particles 

 in the top layer, though perhaps the most important feature of the effect of the 

 rainfall, is not the sole one, and that some redistribution of the fine particles 

 also occurs. ... It is evident that in this effect of rain on the flocculatiou of 

 the soil, we have a factor which is amply sutBcient to cause considerable dif- 

 ference in the behavior of plants in the same soil on different occasions." 



The decomposition products of the aluminum silicate rocks, particularly 

 the laterites of Madagascar, A. Lacroix (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 



