SOILS FERTILIZERS. 127 



plied at difforent depths. The best results were obtained by shallow applica- 

 tion in the case of wheat and by deep applicaton in the case of beets. There 

 was considerable after effect of the nitrate the second year, showing that it 

 had not entirely been carried beyond the reach of the roots of the plants by 

 leaching. 



Synthetic ammonia, H. A. Derntiisen {Trans, and Onjan. S. Inicrnat. Cong. 

 Appl. Chem. [Washington and Neiv York], 2S {1912), pp. 182-201).— Th\s ad- 

 dress has already been noted from other sources (E. S. 11., 28, p. 222). 



A study of the composition, toxicity, and chemical and biological evolu- 

 tion of crude ammonia, A. Demolon {Ann. Sci. Agron., J,, ser., 2 {WIS), I. 

 No. S, pp. ns~21Jf).—A briefer account of the investigations reported in this 

 article has already been noted (E. S. R., 25, p. 121). 



The fixation of ammoniacal nitrogen by permutite and clay soils and the 

 assimilation of permutite nitrogen by plants, D. J. Hjssink {Verslag. Land- 

 lomvk. Ondersoek. Rijkslandboutvproefstat. [Netherlands], 1913, No. 13, pp. 

 1-GO, pi. 1, figs. 5).— In comparative tests of ammonium sulphate and ammonium 

 permutite in pot experiments with oats grown in sand, it was found that under 

 normal conditions with optimal water supply the nitrogen of these two sub- 

 stances was assimilated at about the same rate, but that with a deficiency of 

 moisture the nitrogen of the ammonium permutite was so firmly fixed as to 

 greatly reduce its availability as plant food. It was further noted that the per- 

 centage utilization of nitrogen decreased but the percentage of nitrogen in the 

 plant increased with increased applications of nitrogen. Digestion in water 

 saturated with carbon dioxid according to Mitscherlich's method furnished no 

 Indication of the availability of the nitrogen of the ammonium permutite. 



Cyanamid, dicyandiamid, and lime nitrogen, J. C. de Ruijter de Wildt 

 and A. D. Berkhout {Verslag. Landhouwlc. Onderzoek. Rijkslandbouwproefstat 

 [Netherlands], 191S, No. 13, pp. 61-121, figs. 5).— This article, which is a con- 

 tinuation of previous reports of investigations on this subject (E. S. R., 20, 

 p. 623), discusses the methods of preparation and analysis of cyanamid, and 

 reports in detail a chemical study of th(? substance and its transformation 

 products. 



It was found that cyanamid 9S.1 per cent pure was 94.1 per cent pure after 

 standing 2 years. A 0.25 per cent solution of cyanamid was stable, but a 1 per 

 cent solution underwent some decomposition, which was increased by exposure 

 to sunlight and raising the temperature (40 to 60° C). There was some 

 decomposition in drying a 2 per cent solution of cyanamid over Kulphuric acid, 

 and in boiling under a reflux condenser for 40 minutes. When dried on a water 

 bath the cyanamid was completely transformed to dicyandiamid. There was 

 no change when a dilute solution of cyanamid was mixed with neutral solu- 

 tions of various salts of corresponding strength; there was formation of di- 

 cyandiamid when mixed with alkaline salts. Acids and alkalis produced de- 

 composition, as did storage in a moist atmosphere. Carbon dioxid was ap- 

 parently without effect. There was some loss of nitrogen in all cases where 

 cyanamid was mixed with water, potash-magnesia sulphate, kainit, and super- 

 phosphate, the greatest with water, the lea.st with superphosphate during the 

 first 2 months. After that time the loss with this mixture was very rapid, and 

 at the end of U years the loss was greater than in case of the mixture with 

 potash salts. 



Comparative fertilizer tests of fresh and old (partially decomposed) lime 

 nitrogen gave results very unfavorable to the latter. 



The Serpek process for the manufacture of aluminium nitrid. J. W. 

 Richards {Jour. Indus, and Eiigin. Chem., 5 {1913), No. J,, pp. 335-337, fig, 

 J).— This process, as described in United States patents, is briefly described. 



