1916] SOILS FERTILIZERS. 629 



Blue lupines gave the most favorable results, being better than yellow lupines. 

 Alfalfa appeared to be a failure as a green manure on these soils. The data 

 from several years' experiments are reported in tabulai* form. 



The displacement by water of the nitrogenous and mineral material con- 

 tained in leaves, G. Andr^ (Bui. Soc. Chim. France, 4. ser., 11 (1915), No. 23, 

 pp. 429-441; abs. in Chem. Abs., 10 (1916), No. 6, p. 796). — Experiments with 

 chestnut leaves are reported. 



Analyses of 100 leaves on October 17 and of 100 more on the following April 

 21, which had wintered on the ground, showed a loss of 7.5 per cent of the 

 nitrogen, 67.4 per cent of the phosphoric acid, and 87.7 per cent of the potash. 

 Dead leaves after wintering in piles on the ground were found to contain about 

 twice as much nitrogen and about the same amount of phosphoric acid as a 

 good farm manure. The nitrogen did not niti-ify as readily as that of manure. 



To determine the influence of water alone, leaves were covered with water 

 together with a few drops of formalin. The solution was decanted, replaced by 

 more water, and the solutions analyzed. The last portion, after 255 days ex- 

 traction, contained 6.27 per cent of the total nitrogen, 74.14 per cent of the total 

 phosphoric acid, and 94.58 per cent of the potash. This is taken to indicate 

 that the nitrogen of the leaves exists as a protein which does not readily hy- 

 drolyze. It was further observed that the younger the leaf, the larger were the 

 percentages of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash extracted in the first week. 



The same experiments were conducted with reference to sulphur, lime, and 

 magnesia content. After immersion for one month in water it was found that 

 56.8 per cent of the total sulphur, 50.72 per cent of the magnesia, and only 

 20.03 per cent of the lime were displaced. 



Report on ten years' experiments with sewage fertilizers, Kuhneet (Mitt. 

 Deut. Landw. Gesell., 31 (1916), No. 16, pp. 253-258) .—Field experiments on 

 several different German experimental fields of swampy sand soil with cabbages, 

 rye, oats, potatoes, and clover to determine the fertilizing value of stable 

 manure, peat and sewage mixture, and soil and sewage mixture when applied 

 in amounts of about 22 tons, 18 tons, and 13 tons per acre are reported. The 

 peat and sewage mixture used in one case contained 0.44 per cent total nitrogen, 

 0.23 per cent water-soluble phosphoric acid, and 0.35 per cent potash ; and in a 

 second case 0.65 per cent total nitrogen, 0.28 per cent water-soluble phosphoric 

 acid, and 0.31 per cent potash. The soil and sewage mixture used contained 

 0.39 per cent total nitrogen, 0.01 per cent soluble phosphoric acid, and 0.14 per 

 cent potash. 



In all cases the plats treated with sewage fertilizers produced an increase in 

 crop over the unfertilized plats, in some cases exceeded the plats fertilized with 

 stable manure, and gave on the average as good results as plats receiving com- 

 plete artificial fertilization. It is considered inadvisable and unprofitable to 

 use raw sewage for a fertilizer. Mixing with peat or earth in amounts double 

 the amounts of sewage used was found to be a better practice. 



Solubility of plant-food elements as modified by fertilizers, C. A. Jensen 

 (Jour. Amcr. Soc. Agron., 8 (1916), No. 2, pp. 100-105). — Continuing previous 

 work (E. S. R., 35, p. 321), experiments on a field of sandy loam soil, support- 

 ing a growth of sugar beets but which had previously been in alfalfa for several 

 years are reported, showing the seasonal changes in the water-soluble nutritive 

 constituents in the soil and the effect of fertilizers on the amounts of the 

 various elements recovered. The fertilizers were applied at the following rates 

 per acre : " Nothing ; nitrate of soda, 300 lbs. at time of planting and 300 lbs. 

 when the beets were thinned ; calcium cyanamid, 500 lbs. ; superphosphate, 500 

 lbs. ; bone meal, 500 lbs. ; factory waste lime, 15 tons ; composted manure, 14 



