30 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



etc.) in the soil solution and the basic material naturally held adsorbed by the 

 soil and their subsequent removal by leaching. This leaves the soil free to 

 adsorb more basic material from any source with which it may come in contact. 



" Kaolin in its natural condition does not show the i)ower of selective adsorp- 

 tion, but after treatment with acids to remove the adsorbed bases it becomes 

 capable of removing a corresponding quantity of base from a neutral salt solu- 

 tion. The quantity of base adsorbed by a soil or by kaolin varies with different 

 salt solutions, thus rendering unreliable the results of any analytical method for 

 determining the ' lime requirement ' of a soil unless the method employs the 

 same material that is to be used in the field." 



Soil acidity and methods for its detection, J. E. Harris {Science, n. ser., 

 J,0 (1914), No. 1031, pp. Jtdl-j!t93).—ln view of the results obtained in the 

 investigations noted above the author concludes that methods of determining the 

 lime requirement of soils based upon the old humic acid theory are not reliable. 

 " The only sure way to determine the lime requirement of an acid soil is to use 

 the same material in the test as is used in the field for correcting the acidity," 

 as is done in the methods of Veitch and Siichting, because, as was shown in the 

 investigations referred to, acid soils do not adsorb equivalent amounts of dif- 

 fei'ent ions. 



Soil denudation by rainfall and drainage and conservation of soil mois- 

 ture, A. Howard {Indian Tea Assoc, Sci. Dcpt. Quart. Jour., No. 1 {1914), pp. 

 24-30). — In a brief discussion of the injurious effects of soil erosion in India, 

 proper surface drainage and moisture conservation by cultivation are advocated 

 as remedies. 



Coast sand dunes, sand spits, and sand wastes, G. O. Case {London, 

 1914, VP- [XU-\-162, pi. 1, figs. .^2).— The object of this book "is. more par- 

 ticularly to draw attention to the advantages of collecting the iublown sand in 

 the formation of a large coast protection dune, which when built up by the 

 wind, under the guidance of man, to a proper height and inclination . . . 

 prevents inland sand drift and the formation of sand wastes, . . . acts as an 

 embankment or line of defense against erosion of the coast, . . . and enables, 

 and makes it commercially worth while, to reclaim and convert into . . . 

 pine woods any existing inland areas of sand wastes or useless belts of sand 

 dunes only partially covered by vegetation." 



Data are quoted which state that the sand dunes of Europe, including the 

 sand wastes, cover an area of 13.440,000 acres. The subject matter is pre- 

 sented under the following chapters: Ti'ansporlation of sand by wind action 

 and formation of coast dunes, sand dunes in Great Britain and abroad, devas- 

 tation caused by the inland movement of sand dunes, erosion of the coast 

 resulting from the inland movement of sand dunes, formation of sand spits 

 and sand islands, the reclamation of tidal lauds by the formation of successive 

 ridges of sand dunes, the formation of a littoral or coast protection dune, pro- 

 tective works on the sea face of littoral dunes, and the reclamation of sand 

 wastes. See also a previous note (E. S. R., 30. p. 239). 



Keclamation of waste land, A. D. Hall {Jour. Roy. Soc. Arts, 62 {1914), 

 No. 3222, pp. 833-840; Pop. Sci. Mo., 85 {1914), ^^o. 4, pp. 377-391).— The author 

 discusses factors making for soil fertility or the reverse, such as rainfall, 

 drainage, alkalinity, acidity, and lime. Different classes of waste lands are 

 dealt with, but special emphasis is placed upon the reclamation of dry lands, 

 moor and heath lands, and sandy lands. Lime is considered to be the most 

 important factor to be taken into account in rendering waste lands productive, 

 but other methods of fertilizing and improving such lands, especially moor and 

 heath lands, are discussed. 



