1916] SOILS — FERTILIZEB8. 719 



found to be associated with a high minimum temperature, accompanied by warm, 

 short nights. The highest minimum temperatures occur in Italy in July and the 

 first week in August, when the humidity of the air is relatively high and the days 

 long and very warm. Low temperatures during the last days of July and the first 

 of September occurring at the important and tender stages of heading, inflores- 

 cence, and formation of grain caused considerable damage to rice in 191.5. 



Night frost in the East Indies, W. Van Bemmelen (Tijdschr. Nijv. Landb. 

 Nederland. Indie, 92 {1916), No. 2, pp. 126-131).— The conditions under which 

 the.se frosts occur are briefly discusse<l. 



The weather of Scotland in 1915, A. Watt {Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. 

 Scot., 5. ser., 28 {1916), pp. 242-256).— The weather conditions for each month 

 are summarized and much detailed data for rainfall at various places in Scot- 

 land are given. 



It is .stated that in the extreme north and in the western and most southern 

 districts there was a well-defined shortage of rainfall, and toward the northwest 

 the shortage was of a most decided character. " In West Inverne.ss-shire the 

 year was the driest on record. At Fort William the rainfall was 30 per cent 

 below the normal, and three-fifths of it was accounted for before the end of 

 April ; every month from May onward had a shortage ; and May, June, Septem- 

 ber, October, and November had each less than half the average amount of rain. 

 Outside the northwestern area the extreme southwest appears to have been the 

 region most notable for the persistence of dry periods. 



" The severe frost of November seriously interfered with agricultural opera- 

 tions." 



[The climate of Pavlovsk], A. V. Shipchinskii (A. Shipchinski) {Zap. 

 Selsk. Khoz. Inst. Imp. Petra I {Mem. Inst. Agron. Emp. Pierre I), 1 {1916), 

 pp. 52-69). — This is a summary of ten years' observations (1897-1904 and 

 1911-1913). The average annual temperature was 6.9° C. (44.4° F.), the pre- 

 cipitation 500.3 mm. (19.7 in.). The prevailing wind was southeast. 



SOILS— FERTILIZEES. 



Michigan's shifting sands: Their control and better utilization, F. H. 

 Sanfobd {Michigan Sta. Spec. Bui. 79 {1916), pp. 31, figs. 23). — This bulletin 

 deals with the control and better utilization of about 534,000 acres of dune- 

 formed land bordering on the Great Lakes in Michigan. 



"The sand dunes in Michigan are found in four belts on the shores of the 

 three greater lakes. These belts are the Superior Belt, the line of dunes found 

 on the Superior shore of the Upper Peninsula; the South Shore Belt, the i)elt 

 along the south coast of the Upper Peninsular ; the West Shore Belt, that formed 

 by the winds and waters of Lake Michigan upon the west coast of the Lower 

 Peninsula ; and the fourth, the East Shore Belt, that washed by the waters of 

 Lake Huron. Geologically the sand dunes are young." 



It is concluded that "sand along the Michigan shores can be controlled if 

 proper methods are applied. Certain plants are admirably adapted for use in 

 ( stabli.shing a 'crust' in which other forms of tree growth must be planted to 

 insure permanent forest cover. By waiting for planted belts to grow into high 

 shelters, certain adjacent belts in the lee may be utilized by the growth of cer- 

 tain forest crops, or orchards, but never by annual crops. 



" Studies of planting done from 10 to 20 years ago point out the imperative 

 need of establishing and maintaining a solid cover on the windward slopes of all 

 blows. Planting must begin on the windward side of a blow with the establish- 

 ment of a facing of low forms that are capable of withstanding the rough treat- 

 ment to which they will be subjected. In all dune formations where the sand is 



