1!)20] SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 321 



work in progress, dealing; with ludisiuro inuvciiiont in dry and wet sand and in 

 soils of dilli'rent initial moisture contents, lias sliown that with sand tlio niove- 

 nit-nt is oidy from 3.3 to 1.7 times as fireat wlien wet as when dry, and tliat 

 with soil.s there is very little greater movement in soil containing a small 

 amount of initial free moisture than in soil previously air dry. 



The daily march of temperature in the surface layer of the soil, It. 

 SuKiNT, (Veroffciitl. Prcuss. Met. Inst., 1919, Xo. 302, pp. 39, fig. i).— 01)serva- 

 tions with soil thermographs at depth.s of 10 and 20 cm. (3.9 to 7.9 in.) are 

 recorded and discus.sed. The phase and amplitude of the daily march of tem- 

 perature were found to be dependent first upon the air content of the soil, 

 and second upon the moisture content. 



Temperature of springs and of the soil (Ahs. in Met. Ztsrhr. [nrunsnick] 

 36 {1919), Ko. 1-8, p. 231). — This is a brief note on an article by C. Mezger, 

 dealing with the normal temperature of springs, the influence of sea level and 

 forests, relation of soil temperature to that of springs and the air and related 

 subjects. 



The value of lupines in the cultivation of poor light land, A. W. Oldek- 

 SHAW {./our. Min. Agr. [London], 26 {1920), No. 10, pp. 982-991, pis. 2).— A re- 

 port on experience on the growing of lupines in England, particularly for the 

 improvement of poor light soil, is reviewed, it being shown that lupines grow 

 with surprising luxuriance on poor blowing sand which will grow practically 

 nothing but rye. 



It wa.s found in Suffolk that excellent crops of rye and frequently of oats 

 can be grown on extremely poor, light, and somewhat acid soil after lupines 

 •which have been either folded green, plowed in, or harvested for seed. The 

 crop value of the lupine itself is also discussed. 



Legume inoculation, D. B. Swinot.k and G. B. Nutting {Montana- f^ta. Circ. 

 88 (1919), pp. 8, fig. 1). — This circular deals with the practical phases of the 

 inoculation of soils for the growing of leguminous crops, and includes a list 

 of companies manufacturing cultures for legume inoculation. 



Carbon dioxid and plant gro^vth, F. Bornemann {Dcut. Landw. Pre.s.sc, 47 

 {1920), -Non. 1, pp. 1, 2; 2, pp. 10, 11; 3, pp. 19, 20, figs. 6).— The author reviews 

 a number of his experiments to support his conclusion that the size of crop 

 yh'lds depends primarily upon the production of carbon dioxid by the soil. 

 The experiments included the artificial introduction of carbon dioxid gas into 

 the soil and the stimulation of carbon dioxid production in soil by the use of 

 manure. 



The results showed that large increases in leguminous crops were obtained 

 by stimulation of carbon dioxid production in the soil. It is concluded that 

 stable manure should always be used on leguminous crops, especially peas 

 and beans. 



Humin acids, J. Marcusson {Ztschr. Angew. Chetn., 31 {1918). No. 99, 

 Aufsatzt.. pp. 237, 238). — A brief study of the pure chemistry of so-called humin 

 acids from soils and brown coal is reported. It is stated that such acids, occur- 

 ring mainly in moor and agricultural soils, peat, brown coal, and rotten wood, 

 contain from .5-5 to 65 per cent carbon, from 3.7 to 4.6 per cent hydrogen, and 

 about 4 per cent nitrogen, and the remainder consists mainly of oxygen with a 

 little sulphur. 



The farmer's i)art in bigger crops, U. W. Trttlijnger {Anier. Farming, 15 

 {1920), No. 3. pp. 3. 14, 15. fii/s. ,?).— This is a brief popular article defining the 

 general principles of seed-bed preparation and discussing the preparation of 

 the soil for the more common field crops. 



