418 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



under similar climatic conditions, that the relative amount of available phos- 

 phorus in different soils may be indicated by the relation between the percent- 

 ages of phosphorus in turnips grown in those soils. 



" The percentages of phosphorus pentoxid in dry matter varied from 0.27 in 

 turnip roots grown on an extremely deficient soil to 1.82 in turnips from a soil 

 sc abundantly supplied with phosphorus that further manuring even depressed 

 the yield. Practically maximum growth was usually obtained if the percentage 

 was as much as about 1, and a fair growth if it were perhaps a fourth less. 



"Apart from the fact that marked increases in the phosphorus percentage of 

 turnips were caused by applications of acid phosphate, the following observa- 

 tions were afforded by the work, although the data were meager in some in- 

 stances. When grown in a given soil, turnips of the same agq, but of different 

 sizes contained about an equal percentage of phosphorus, but those grown for a 

 longer time contained a smaller percentage. In no case did liming increase the 

 rate of growth more than the rate of phosphorus absorption; that is, the per- 

 centage of phosphorus was not decreased. Applications of muriate of potash 

 appeared to increase the percentage of phosphorus. 



"In a pot experiment three different crops of turnips were grown with a 

 limited amount of phosphorus and two different. amounts of water. In no case 

 did the larger amount of water increase the rate of growth more than the rate 

 of phosphorus absorption; the percentage was increased in one crop of turnips 

 and was practically unchanged in the other two." 



Observations on bone meal as a phosphatic fertilizer, B. Schulze (Ztschr. 

 Landw. Rammer ScJdesien, 16 (1912), No. 51, pp. 1620-1623; ahs. in Ztschr. 

 Angew. Chem., 26 (1913), No. 2Jf, Referatenteil, pp. 195, i96).— Comparative 

 tests of superphosphate, Thomas slag, and steamed bone meal on soil very 

 poor in lime showed that, talking the action of phosphoric acid and superphos- 

 phate as 100, the steamed bone meal was from 46 to 53 and Thomas slag 90. 

 The general conclusion is that with such a low efficiency bone meal is a very 

 expensive fertilizer. 



An available type of raw phosphate, I. V. IAkushkin (Izv. Moskov. Selsk. 

 Khoz. Inst. (Ann. Inst. Agron. ilvscou), 19 (1913), No. 1, pp. 152-178, figs. 7).— 

 Pot experiments with a rock phosphate which showed a comparatively high 

 degree of availability for oats and millet are reported. 



Preparation of superphosphate with waste sulphuric acid from petroleum 

 purification, V. P. Kochetkov (Izv. MosJcov. Selsk. Ehoz. Inst. (Ann. Inst. 

 Agron. Moscou), 19 (1913), No. 1, pp. 69-72).— By the use of this waste ma- 

 terial double superphosphates of good physical properties containing about 21 

 per cent of phosphoric acid, practically all of which was soluble in water, 

 were obtained from bone meal, and containing about 14 per cent, somewhat 

 less soluble, from rock phosphate. 



The utilization of sodium bisulphate for the preparation of phosphatic 

 fertilizer, V. P. Kochetkov (Izv. Moskov. Selsk. Ehoz. Inst. (Ann. Inst. Agron. 

 Moscou), 19 (1913), No. 1, pp. 33-55).— Experiments are reported in which 

 precipitated phosphate was successfully prepared from bone and certain Rus- 

 sian rock phosphates by treatment with sodium bisulphate, a by-product of 

 nitric acid manufacture, and subsequent precipitation with lime. It was found 

 that the phosphoric acid of the bone and rock phosphates was practically all 

 dissolved by the bisulphate, and a precipitated phosphate obtained which con- 

 tained over 25 per cent of phosphoric acid of which over 90 per cent was 

 soluble in ammonium nitrate. 



The preparation of phosphoric acid and double superphosphate with 

 sodium bisulphate, V. P. Kochetkov (Izv. Moskov. Selsk. Khoz. Inst. (Ann. 

 Inst. Agron. Moscou), 19 (1913), No. 1, pp. 60-68).— In the experiments re- 



