216 EXPEHIMENT STATION BECOED. (VoL 37 



A general coDclusion which seems applicable to all districts alike Is that 

 where irrigation is not practiced an application of commercial fertilizers is 

 not so profitable as the fertilizing methods already in practice. The use of 

 add phosphate on the black soils of western India gives good results, providing 

 there is a considerable quantity of organic matter present in the soU. 



[Fertilizer experiments], P. Ltechti {Landic. Jahrb. Schtceis, SO {1916}, 

 So. 5. pp. .50(>— 50*1. — Mixing liquid manure with peat dust was found not to 

 prevent the escai)e of anunonia from the liquid manure. 



Elxperiments with oats on an acid sandy loam soiL to compare samples of 

 lime nitrogen from five different sources .showed that in one case the rffect 

 of the lime nitrogen was injurious. Analyses of samples of this lime nitrogen 

 showed the presence of appreciable quantities of dicyandiamid. which is thought 

 to explain the injurious action- 

 Incomplete experiments with urea on oats are also reported. 



Standardization of humus used for fertilizer. J. H. Hoff (Jour. Amer. Soc.. 

 10 (1911). So. 1. pp. 1S-^2k — It is the author's opinion, based on a review of 

 work by himself and others, that the important factors in properly Judging the 

 manurial value of muck and peat are (1) natural productivity, (2) reaction 

 and freedom from excess moisture, (3) whether high In nitrogen and whether 

 the other fertility elements are properly balanced and proper bacterial flora 

 prevail, and (4) solubility. 



The organic nitrogen compounds of soils and fertilizers, E. C. Lathbop 

 (Jour. Fnmklin Inat.. 185 {1917). Sos. i. pp. 169-206: S. pp. 50SS21: 4. pp. 

 Ji6S-49S). — This article gummarizes the results of investigations, partly re- 

 ported elsewhere (E. S. R.. 32. p. 217; 36, p. 25). which were undertaken to 

 determine the origin, chemical composition, biochemical changes, and distribu- 

 tion of organic nitrogenous subistan<:es in the soil.*, as well as the action and 

 availability of the nitrogen of soils, peats, and organic fertilizers. The investi- 

 gations of others, as well as of the author, are reviewed, and an extensive 

 bibliography of the subject Is given. The studies were made with a large 

 number of soils from widely different regions. The methods employed are 

 fully described. 



The author concludes that " histidin. hypoianthin. cystosin. xanthin. nndeic 

 acid, creatinin, cyanuric acid, or its isomer cyamelid. may be considered to be 

 organic nitrogenous constituents commonly occurring in soils. Arginin, lysin, 

 adenin, cholin, [and] trimethylamin may be considered at the present time 

 to be nitrogenous constituents unusual to soUs, ina.*much as they occur infre- 

 quently in soils. These compotinds may either not be normally formed by the 

 jjrocesses of change taking place in the soil or if they are formed they are 

 probably very quickly changed into other compounds, for example, arginin into 

 omithin and urea or adenin into hypoianthin." 



Studies were made of the nitrogenotis comiwunds of natural and processel 

 organic fertilizers. In the first nitrogen was found to be present in the form 

 of ammonia, melanin, cystin, arginin. histidin. lysin. monoamino comp<junds. 

 and nonamino compounds. In the second there were found arginin. histidin. 

 lysin. leucin, tryosin. guanin, and hypoianthin. The conclusion was reached 

 that ** the process by which the nitrogen of certain trade wastes, such as hair, 

 leather, garbage, etc. is made more available is recognized as a process of 

 partial hydrolysis of the complex proteins contained in such materials re- 

 sulting in ammonia, amino acids, etc., all of which are more readily available 

 than the original protein materials. This hydrolysis is almost complete, the 

 nitrogenous compounds formed being principally the primary products of pro- 

 tein hydrolysis, together with a small amount of proteose-like compound which 

 has not been fully decomposed. . , . The more extended and final the hydrol- 



