1916] SOILS — FERTILIZEES. 519 



It was further found that ordinary lime nitrogen gave considerably less favor- 

 able results than ammonium nitrate, while the gi-anulated lime nitrogen in the 

 smallest and medium applications gave results comparable to those obtained by 

 others. 



Nitrogen fertilization experiments by the Grerman Agricultural Society in 

 1914-15, E. RiTTEB and Klebeegek (Mitt. Deut. Landw. Gesell., 31 (.1916), No. 

 3, pp. 30-33).— Two sets of experiments with oats, potatoes, and beets on 0.125 

 hectare plats (about 0.31 acre) of deep mild loam, sandy to loamy gravel, mild 

 sandy loam, and heavy clay soils are reported. 



In the first set it was found that the lime nitrogen as a part of the basal 

 fertilizer gave generally better results than ammonium sulphate as part of the 

 basal fertilizer on mild and heavy loam, clay, and gravel soils. The results are 

 further taken to indicate that the use of lime nitrogen as a top-dressing for 

 oats is advisable only when necessary. 



In the second set, comparing lime nitrogen with ammonium carbonate, the 

 increase in yield of potatoes and beets was greater with increasing nitrogen 

 additions, little difference being observed between the two nitrogenous fertil- 

 izers. The best effects of nitrogen fertilization were observed on the gravelly 

 soil. The starch content of potatoes decreased with increasing nitrogen appli- 

 cations. The number of diseased and imperfect potatoes and beets increased 

 with increasing additions of lime nitrogen, and this is taken to indicate that 

 the use of larger amounts of lime nitrogen should be undertaken with caution 

 and only after preliminary local experiments. 



A brief note of experiments on the use of catalytic fertilizers with lime nitro- 

 gen is also included. 



Experiments with nitrogenous fertilizers at the Finnish moor culture 

 experiment station in 1911 to 1913, A. Rindell {Finska Mosskulturfor. 

 Arsbok, 18 (1914), No. 1, pp. 53-98; abs. in Zentbl. Agr. Chem., U (1915), No. 

 7, pp. 299-302). — Experiments with oats on moor soil which was first burned 

 and then treated with loam soil at the rate of 150 cubic meters per hectare 

 (79.4 cu. yds. per acre) showed that on such soil both sodium nitrate and stable 

 manure markedly increased the crop yield. 



In experiments with burned and unburned moor soil, it was found that the 

 burned soil gave the better results the first year but poorer results tliereafter. 

 Nitrogen fertilization w^as found in further experiments to be profitable in both 

 burned and unburned soil. 



Experiments comparing sodium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, and carbid 

 nitrogen for oats showed that the fertilizing value of ammonium sulphate was 

 83 per cent and of carbid nitrogen 64 per cent of that of sodium nitrate on 

 moor soil. Ammonium sulphate was found to be as good a top-dressing for 

 meadow on loam soil as sodium nitrate, while carbid nitrogen gave less favor- 

 able results. 



The action of gaseous ammonia on superphosphate and the utilization of 

 the so obtained ammonium phosphate, Geblach (Ztschr. Angew. Chem., 29 

 (1916), No. 3, Aufsatzteil, pp. IS, U; No. 5, Aufsatzteil, pp. 18-20).— An am- 

 monium phosphate fertilizer obtained by treatment of superphosphate with 

 gaseous ammonia is described, and pot and plat experiments with oats, barley, 

 and mustard on loamy sand, sandy loam, and sand containing 5 per cent peat 

 are reported, using the ammonium superphosphate mixture and ammonium 

 phosphate obtained by treating the ammonium superphosphate with cold 

 water saturated with carbon dioxid. Analysis of the ammonium super- 

 phosphate mixture showed it to contain total nitrogen 7.15 per cent, total 

 phosphoric acid 16.73 per cent, water-soluble phosphoric acid 1.13 per cent, 

 and total lime 24.78 per cent. 



