516 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



media. Contrary to the conclusions readied, by Russell and Hutchinson, he 

 concludes that the amount of ammonifieation occurring in the soil is not an 

 index of the productiveness of the soil for potatoes, wheat, or flax, and he was 

 unable to find that the amcebre or their allies are particulai'ly harmful or bene- 

 ficial as associated with wheat cropping. 



Cereal cropping'. — Sanitation, a new^ basis for crop rotation, manuring, 

 tillage, and seed selection, H. L. Bolley (Science, n. sen, 38 {WIS), No. 973, 

 pp. 249-259). — After discussing briefly the various theories which have been 

 advanced to explain the decline in productiveness of cultivated soils, the author 

 sets forth his own views regarding soil sanitation, especially as applied to the 

 production of cereal crops, maintaining " that sanitary considerations with refer- 

 ence to the characteristics of parasitic diseases which are now quite commonly 

 resident in the seed and the soil will yet form the essential basis for the proper 

 management of crops in rotation in series, and the same considerations will 

 largely govern the type of tillage and the manner of handling waste materials 

 on the farm, particularly farm manures. Further, aside from the mattei» of 

 variety as to food value, the efforts of agriculturists and agronomists with ref- 

 erence to cereal cropping will, in the future, give primary consideration to the 

 selection of seed for sowing purposes, based directly upon its powers of re- 

 sistance to disease." 



Trials with crops and fertilizers at Swedish moor culture stations, 1912, 

 H. VON Feilitzen {Svenska Mosskulturfor. Tidskr., 27 {1913), No. 4-5, pp. 338- 

 370, figs. 2). — This report of the Swedish Moor Culture Society for 1912 con- 

 tains accounts of the meteorological conditions, soil tempei'atures, and variety 

 and fertilizer tests conducted at Joukoping, Flahult, and Torestorp moor during 

 the yeai-. 



Cooperative fertilizer trials on Finnish moor soils, 1910—11, E. A. Malm 

 (Fitiska Mosskulturfor. Irshok, IG {1912), No. 3, pp. 2i8-236 ) .—These trials 

 were conducted on 17 different farms under the direction of the Finnish Moor 

 Culture Society. The fertilizers applied on the different plats were phosphatic 

 (Thomas slag or bone meal) or potassic (kaiuit or 37 per cent potash salt), 

 or both. 



Fertilizers for moor land, H. voN Feilitzen {Svenska Mosskulturfor. 

 Tidskr., 27 {1913), No. J,, Sup., pp. 73, figs. 43).— This is a popular treatise on 

 the best methods of treatment of moor plantations in order to secure the largest 

 possible yields and most profitable returns. It deals with manure vs. artificial 

 fertilizers for moor soils, methods of fertilization and application of fertilizers, 

 purchase of artificial fertilizers, kinds to be used for different crops, etc. 



The following is in brief the teaching of the pamphlet (as applied to the 

 Gottland moor soils w^hich contain a high percentage of nitrogen) : Without 

 fertilization there is always loss ; light fertilization gives no profit, but heavy 

 fertilization gives good profit. One-sided phosphatic fertilization gives little 

 profit and one-sided potash fertilization certain loss, while simultaneous phos- 

 phatic and potash fertilization always give good profit. 



Cave deposits of fertilizing value, H. J. Vipond {Union So. Africa Dcpt. 

 Agr. Rpt. 1910-11, pp. 390-392. 423).— Analyses of a number of samples of bat 

 guano and other cave deposits are reported. 



Guano Islands, F. B. Smith and W. R. Zeederberg {Union So. Africa Dept. 

 Agr. Rpt. 1910-11, pp. 30, 31, 467-J,71). — The composition and supply of guano 

 of these islands, situated along the western and southern coast of South Africa, 

 are briefly discussed. 



It is shown that the supply, which yielded 7,125 tons in 1911, is not sufficient 

 to meet the local demand. The average composition of the guano, as recently 

 offered for sale, is nitrogen 11.1 per cent ; potash 2.35 per cent ; phosphoric acid, 



