1916] SOILS FERTILIZERS. 325 



The Illinois system of soil fertility from the standpoint of the practical 

 farmer, Beothee Leo (Illinois Sta. Circ. 186 (1916), pp. 3-8). — This is an 

 iiddress before the Illinois Farmers' Institute at Decatur, Februai*y 22, 1916, 

 in which a popular discussion of the well-Iinown Illinois system of soil fertility 

 is given together with an account of the successful use of this system on the 

 farm of the University of Notre Dame. 



The use of fertilizers in 1916, W. P. Brooks (Massachusetts Sta. Circ. 59 

 (1915). pp. 8). — This circular gives the substance of the points agi'eed upon at a 

 conference of the directors of the New York, New Jersey, and New England 

 stations, with the addition in a few cases of conclusions based chiefly upon 

 results of experimental work at the Massachusetts Station. 



Growing crops without potash in 1916, O. D. Woods (Maine Sta. Doc. 520 

 (1915), pp. 15). — This is an address delivered before the Maine Seed Improve- 

 ment Association, December 8, 1915, which is based in part upon the conclusions 

 reached at a meeting of the directors of the New England, New Jersey, and 

 New York stations and in part on special studies made by the Maine Station. 



The action of new nitrogenous fertilizers, Gerlach (Mitt. Dent. Landw. 

 Gesell, 31 (1916), No. 7, pp. 90-93). — Pot experiments with oats and white mus- 

 tard on weak humus loamy sand and loamy sand, plat experiments with oats, 

 rye, and wheat on loamy sand, and field experiments with beets, barley, and 

 rye on loamy sand and light loamy sand soil are reported, the purpose of 

 which was to determine the relative fertilizing action of sodium nitrate, lime 

 nitrogen, urea, urea nitrate, annnonium sulphate, ammonium chlorid, ammonium 

 bicarbonate, ammonium sodium sulphate, and an organic nitrogenous fertilizer. 



It was found that under the favorable conditions existing in the pot experi- 

 ments, lime nitrogen and urea showed a fertilizing action approximately equal 

 to that of the ammonium and nitrate fertilizers. In the field experiments, 

 and especially on light soils, the opposite was frequently the case. Urea 

 usually gave better results than lime nitrogen. The lime nitrogen gave, in 

 general, relatively unfavorable results and it is thought that field experiments 

 of long duration with it and urea are necessary to determine the conditions for 

 their best utilization. Urea nitrate, while not generally giving the same 

 results as urea, is considered a valuable fertilizer. Ammonium chlorid and 

 ammonium sodium sulphate gave as good results in pot cultures as ammonium 

 sulphate, but the results of field experiments with these two fertilizers were 

 unfavorable. Ammonium bicarbonate did not give as good results as the 

 other fertilizer salts, especially on sand soils. The least favorable results 

 were obtained from the organic fertilizer. No injurious action by any of the 

 fertilizers was observed. 



Phosphates and honesty, C. G. Hopkins (Illinois Sta. Circ. 186 (1916), pp. 

 9-31). — This is an address before the Illinois Farmers' Institute at Decatur, 

 February 22, 1916, consisting of a summary of results of experiments at a num- 

 ber of the state agricultural experiment stations on the use of phosphatic ferti- 

 lizers from which it is concluded " that where phosphorus is deficient in the soil 

 it must be applied in order to increase and permanently maintain fertility or 

 productive power. At moderate prices either bone meal, acid phosphate, basic 

 slag phosphate, or line-ground natural rock phosphate may be used with profit. 

 When prices are sufficiently low, the more readily available phosphates are 

 probably best, especially for garden crops or on soils which are deficient in 

 decaying organic matter, or when the cost of raw phosphate is prohibitive; 

 but even for garden crops, and also in beginning soil improvements for general 

 farm crops even before adequate supplies of organic matter can be provided, 

 liberal applications of raw phositlinte may well be used when exhorbitnnt 

 prices are charged for other phospliates." 



