722 EXPERIMENT STAllO-N KECOKD. 



legumes iiseil a.s ki"<'»-'ii mii'inrc ;,'r('.illy iiin-wiscd tlu' availability of rock phos- 

 phate." 



In comparative test.s of variou.s yieeii mauure plants it was found that an 

 introduced leguminous weed known as rattlepod (Crotahiria siiltmna) "has 

 the advantage over cultivated legumes that the seed may be sown without any 

 previous preparation of the soil and of course without cultivation after seed- 

 ing. . . . On several ])lantations fields which had become the poorest on the 

 whole plantation gave the largest yield during the past year as a result of plow- 

 ing under humus-forming material, but without applying excessive amounts of 

 commercial fertilizers." 



Radio-active fertilizers {Sci. Aiiicr. Hup., 7i} {lUlo), No. .2038, p. o3). — 

 Investigations by Slokiasa. noted elsewhere {K. S. R., 31, p. 821), are reviewed. 



Dogfish and how it is made into fertilizer, Jj. II. Maktkll (Cunad. Fisher- 

 man, 2 {IVir)), No. 1, PI). U-8, fiys. .i ; Aiiirr. Fcrt., .'f.i (I'Jlo), No. 8, pp. o.'f, 56, 

 58). — The progress made by the Canadian Government in efl!orts to utilize the 

 dogfish for the manufacture of oil and fertilizer and thus reduce the menace to 

 fisheries are discussed, and the methods used are described. It is stated that in 

 the factories established at Canso and Clark's Harbor, Nova Scotia, and Shippe- 

 gan. New Brunswick, the feasibility of so utilizing the dogfish has been demon- 

 strated, but that the further development of the iudn.«;try will probably be left 

 to private enterprise. 



The fertilizing value of feathers, F. Pilz {Wicntr Landtc. Ztg., 64 (1914), 

 No. 83, p. 762). — Data colleetwl from various sources regarding the fertilizing 

 value of feathers are summarized in this article. The analyses given indicate 

 that feathers contain on an average about 14 per cent of nitrogen and small 

 amounts, not more than 0.5 per cent in the aggregate, of phosphoric acid, potash, 

 and lime. In view of the unavailable character of the nitrogen of feathers it is 

 stated that they can best be utilized in composts. 



Substitutes for rab, J, B. Knight {iJcpt. Agr. Boiiihaii Bui. 63 (1914), PP- 

 19). — Rtlb is the term applied to the practice of burning materials like loppings 

 of trees or dried dung upon rice seed bed.s before planting the seed. Tests of 

 lime, .salt, charcoal, well-rotted cow mauure. sheep manure. i)oudrette. ashes, 

 ammonium sulphate, superphosphate, niter, and fish and oil cakes as substitutes 

 for rSb are reported. The results indicated that fish, niter, ammonium sul- 

 phate, and oil cakes are the most promising of the substitutes tested, but that 

 poudrette, sheep manure, and decomposed cow manure well mixed with the 

 soil are to be recommended. 



Germany's artificial fertilizers {'/Aschr. Yer. Deut. Ingcii., 58 {1914), No. 

 40, p. 1443; Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 7 (1915). No. 1. p. 7.J). — It is shown 

 that Germany has a practical monopoly and an abundant supply of potash. 

 The situation is not so favorable with reference to nitrogen, but the production 

 of ammonium sulphate is rapidly increasing and the practicability of preparing 

 nitrogen compounds from the air has been demonstrated, although there has 

 not yet been any great commercial development of such processes. It is stated 

 that Germany controls in the Ilaber process of synthetic production of am- 

 monia one of the cheapest and most practical methods of producing nitrogen 

 compounds. The phosphoric acid required is supplied by Thomas slag, a by- 

 ]iroduct of steel manufacture, and Germany is indei)endent with reference to 

 this fertilizing constituent as long as the steel factories are active. 



Air nitrate, K. TV. Jubisch (Uber Luftsalpeter. Lcipf<iv: H. A. L. Dcgener 

 [1914], pp. 20, figs. 15). — ^The industrial develoi>ment of the manufacture by 

 electrical means of nitrates from the free nitrogen of the air by the Birkeland 

 and Eyde and especially the Schonherr processes is reviewed and an extensive 

 bibliography of references to literature and patents is given. 



