SOILS FERTILIZEES. 729 



In general the combined use of manure and commercial fertilizers gave the 

 best results both as regards immediate and after effects. The commercial 

 fertilizers showed a decidedly longer after effect than manure, being apparent 

 for 5 years while the effect of manure was not perceptible after 3 years. The 

 use of high-grade fertilizers is advised because in this case the cost of trans- 

 portation is reduced. 



Studies in Japanese agriculture. — I, Fertilizers, J. Steuthess (Trans. 

 Asiatic Soc. Japan, 41 {WIS), pt. 2, pp. 351-377). — This is the first of a proposed 

 series of articles on Japanese agriculture. 



It is shown that the use of commercial fertilizers in Japan is of compara- 

 tively recent date, but is rapidly assuming large proportions, "^he estimated 

 total value of fertilizers now used is from $34,860,000 to «39,840,0u0 annually. 

 The use of commercial fertilizers is supplementing, and to a considerable extent, 

 superseding the older practices depending upon the use of night soil, straw 

 ashes, and similar fertilizing materials. The use of animal manures has played 

 a comparatively insignificant part in Japanese agriculture because the number 

 of animals is small and the manure is usually poor in fertilizing constituents. 

 Green manuring, especially with green grass, Astragalus sinensis and Medi- 

 cago denticulata, is practiced to some extent. Japanese soils are not naturally 

 very fertile and the system of continuous cropping which prevails is very 

 exhausting to the land, hence the free use of fertilizers has been followed with 

 very profitable results. 



The imports of fertilizing materials into Japan are large and include all of 

 the usual fertilizung materials, mixed and unmixed, besides a variety of oil 

 c-akes and miscellaneous materials. German potash salts have only recently 

 been introduced and their use is still limited chiefly to a small amount of 

 sulphate of potash. The home-produced fertilizers include various kinds of oU 

 c-akes and fish manures, bone, hoofs, horn, hair, rice bran, by-products from the 

 soy, the sake, the beer, and other industries, wastes from silkworm rearing 

 and cocoons, a little sulphate of ammonia from gas works, a small amount of 

 calcium cyanamid, besides superphosphates and mixed fertilizers of different 

 kinds. The principal centers of fertilizer manufacture are Tokio and Osaka. 



The Osaka fertilizers were originally made largely for use in aquatic agri- 

 culture (rice and rushes) and were compounded chiefly of ammonium sulphate 

 and superphosphate, a mixture which seems to be best suited to soils in which 

 the transformation of nitrogen does not, as a rule, go beyond the ammonia stage 

 and which " does not have the same ultimate acid effect as would the same 

 combination of manures applied to dry land crops. . . . Partly from geological 

 reasons and partly from manuring practices long continued, most soils in 

 Japan have a tendency to become acid and this is more marked ... in the case 

 of uonirrigated fields. ... In the manuring of rice Japan is very far in 

 advance of any other rice-growing country, in the manuring of mulberry Japan 

 has no equal, in the manuring of tea she is behind Ceylon and in advance of 

 China, and in the manuring of sugar cane considerably behind Hawaii and in 

 advance of the Philippines. Only within recent years has the manuring of the 

 winter cereals, barley and wheat, received serious attention." 

 Average analyses of the principal fertilizing materials used in Japan are given. 



Importation of fertilizers, B. O. Aston (Jour. Agr. [New Zeal.], 6 {1913), 

 No. 6, pp. 598-602). — The total imports of fertilizers into New Zealand during 

 the year ended March 31, 1913, was 100,601 long tons as compared with 94,296 

 tons the preceding year. The larger proportion of these imports was phosphatic 

 fertilizers (see below). Of nitrogenous fertilizers only 969 tons (partly used 

 as fertilizers), and of potassic fertilizers only 4,248 tons were imported. 



