SOILS — FERTILIZEBS. 315 



note (E. S. R., 27. p. 510). The practical value of such surveys for towns, 

 farming communities, and irrigation companies is discussed. 



The underground water supply of west-central and west Florida, E. H. 

 Seixarus and H. Gunteb (Fla. Geol. Swvey Ann. Rpt., 4 (19J.1), pp. 81-160, pis. 

 .'f, figs. 12). — In this paper, which is the third of a series (E. S. R., 25, p. 18), 

 the artesian water supply is discussed in detail for each county lying in an 

 area bordering the Gulf of Mexico from the Perdido to the Suwanee River, 

 and varying in width from 40 to 100 miles. 



Studies of fish life and water pollution, H. W. Clark and G. O. Adams 

 (Orig. Com/tnun. 8. Intcrnat. Cong. Appl. Chem. [Washington and New York], 

 i6 {1912), Sect. Villa, pp. 199-210).— The effect of sewage of different degrees 

 of concentration, of aeration, of nitrates, iron, potassium, carbonates, etc., and 

 of green growths in the sewage on the life and health of fish was studied in the 

 experiments here reported. 



Some tests as to the efficacy of chlorinated lime in purifying' drinking' 

 water, A. T. Cooper (Military Surg., SO (1912), No. 5, pp. 574-J77 ) .— Raw river 

 water and tap water, containing in some instances BaciUus coU and in others 

 B. typhosus, were treated with chlorld of lime in various dilutions and the 

 reduction in bacterial content determined after treatment for from 10 to 20 

 minutes. 



The results obtained showed that 1 part of chlorid of lime, containing 30 per 

 cent available chlorin, in 200,000 parts of the water to be treated, caused a 

 reduction of the bacteria to not over 10 per cubic centimeter, and in most cases 

 completely sterilized the water after 20 minutes' treatment. Clear water 

 treated in this manner could be used for drinking with safety. 



SOUS— FERTILIZERS. 



The formation, properties, and characteristics of agricultural soils, J. P. 

 Facto (Agriculiura General. I, Estvdio Sobre la Formacion, Propicdades y 

 Caracteres del Suelo Agricola. Mendosa, Argentina, 1912, pp. 107). — This is a 

 general treatise on the subject. 



Analysis of Everglade soils, R. E. Rose (Fla. Qtiart. Bui. Dept. Agr., 23 

 (1913), No. 1. pp. l/,0-1^8, pi. 1). — The average of 34 samples of these soils 

 showed ammonia 3.1 per cent, phosphoric acid O.IS per cent, and potash O.OS 

 l)er cent. 



The causes of the fertility of the western Australian semiarid wheat lands, 

 G. A. Pfistee (Jour. Nat. Hist, and Set. Soc. West. Aust., 4 (1912), pp. 38-1,6). — 

 The fertility of these lands and their failure to respond to nitrate fertilizer are 

 attributed to conditions favoring rapid and long continued nitrification with 

 little leaching of the nitrates from the soil. 



Recent investigations on absorption by cultivated soil, A. Mayer (Fi'ihl- 

 ing's Landw. Ztg., 62 (1913), No. 7. pp. 225-231).— This is a brief critical review 

 of recent investigations on this subject. 



The plant food of soils under the infl.uence of bacteria, A. Koch (Ghvm. 

 Ztg., 36 (1912). No. 77, p. 726; abs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 2. Abt., 37 (1913), 

 No. .'f-6. p. 103). — Attention is called in this article to the danger of loss of 

 nitrates from the soil when wet weather succeeds a long period of active nitrifi- 

 cation, and also to the relation of the organic matter in the soil to the activity 

 of organisms which reduce nitrates and fix nitrogen in less available organic 

 forms. The action of the carbon dioxid produced by bacterial respiration in 

 rendering ixitash and phosphoric acid of the soils soluble and the " biological " 

 absorption of phosphoric acid and potash by bacteria are also referred to. 



