191T] SOILS FERTILIZERS. 723 



neither tetraphosphate nor calcium silicopliospliate, both of which products 

 have been isolated from basic slag. From the purely chemical point of view, 

 there is no analogy between basic slag and tetraphosphate, which may be 

 simply considered a ground phosphate mixed with inert compounds." 



Basic slag as affecting agricultural development, D. A. Gilchbist and H. 

 Lotris (Jour. Soc. Chem. Indtts., S6 (1917), No. 5, pp. 261-264)-— This is a re- 

 view of experience in Europe and the United States on the use of basic slag 

 and rock phosphate for fertilizer, special attention being given to the difference 

 between the citrate solubilities of the basic slag derived from the Bessemer 

 steel process and of that derived from the English basic open hearth process. 



The conclusion is drawn that " citric solubility is certainly not the only 

 criterion, and is apparently not even a reliable criterion, of the value of phos- 

 phatic material as a manurial agent. It is therefore submitted that total 

 phosphoric acid content is a far more reliable test of manurial value, and 

 possesses the further advantage that it depends on the definite analytical de- 

 termination of a substance, instead of being an empirical test liable to be 

 affected by the conditions and methods of its application, and that it should 

 therefore be authoritatively substituted for the citric solubility test throughout 

 the country. This change would not only render available for the use of 

 British agriculturists an annual amount which may reach up to 100,000 tons 

 of phosphoric acid, most of which is now merely a troublesome waste product, 

 but would at the same time render valuable assistance to the steel trade of 

 the country." 



Th,e liming of limy lands, A. H. Rosenfeld {Internat. Sugar Joiir., 19 

 {1911), No. 221, pp. 209-213). — Experiments conducted at the Tucumfin Experi- 

 ment Station in Argentina with lime on typical sugar cane soils which were 

 high in lime, but low in carbon dioxid are reported. Unslaked lime was ap- 

 plied at the rate of 1,600 kg. per hectare (1,424 lbs. per acre). It was found 

 that the cane crops on the limed plats were 5 tons per acre greater than on 

 the unlimed, the cane sprouted better, and the average weight of the stalks for 

 five years was almost 10 per cent better. 



Rules and regulations for the enforcement of the lime-barrel act, S. W. 

 Stkatton (17. S. Dept. Com., Bur. Standards Circ. 64 (1917), pp. 6).— The text 

 of these regulations, which should be of interest to users of agricultural lime, 

 is given. 



The fertilizer value of city wastes. — II, Grarbage tankage. — Its composi- 

 tion, the availability of its nitrogen, and its use as a fertilizer, P. J. 

 ScHBOKDEB (Jour. Indus. and Engin. Chem., 9 (1917), No. 5, pp. 51S-518). — In a 

 second contribution to the subject (E. S. R., 36, p. 728) studies on the com- 

 position of garbage tankage, the availability of its nitrogen, and its fertilizer 

 value are reported. 



The examination of various garbage tankages " revealed no important fact 

 that shows that they are unsuited for fertilizer material. The position is not taken 

 that it is possible to determine the value of a fertilizer material definitely by 

 present methods of chemical analysis, but from the examination the expecta- 

 tion would seem entirely justified that the proper use of garbage tankage should 

 give the usual results obtainable from medium or low-grade fertilizers." 



Turf bedding and compost, I. I. Vikhliaev (Torfianaia Podstilka i Kom- 

 post. Petrograd: Olav. Uprav. Zeml. i Zeml., Otd. Zemel. Vluch., Torfmclstersk. 

 Chast., 1915, pp. 50, pis. 2, figs. 19). — A review is given of experience with turf 

 and moss as a bedding for cattle and horses and as a manure. 



The best material was young, not greatly decomposed, mossy turf. Sphag- 

 num was also good for this purpose. Air-dried moss, frozen while damp, made 

 24656°— 18— No. 8 3 



