420 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



" Generally speaking, with the exception of the soils high in organic matter, 

 like the peats, muck-f;, and some of the soils of the Portsmouth series, nitrogen is 

 the constituent that is most generally needed for the growing of profitable 

 crops. Next in importance come potash, lime, and phosphoric acid. Even 

 with soils containing small amounts of phosphoric acid, field experiments have 

 not shown that this constituent is nearly so essential at the present time as 

 would be indicated by the small amount present in the soils. It is quire evi- 

 dent, therefore, that this constituent, although contained in small amounts, is 

 in a form or forms quite available imder proper cultivation. . . . Coastal Plain 

 soils, generally speaking, are deficient in organic matter. . . . 



" The mineral soils nearly all show a slight degree of ' true acidity,' which 

 can be overcome by much smaller applications of limestone or marl than the 

 peats or mucks. Applications of 1 to 2 tons of high-grade limestone or marl 

 on the sandy loams and loams will usually be sufficient to render the surface 

 G§ in. sweet. Much lai-ger amounts of lime carbonate are needed by the mucks; 

 as high as G to 10 tons per acre will not completely reduce all of the acidity on 

 some of this land. However, in general practice it is usually better to apply 

 smaller amounts, 1 to 3 tons per acre more often, than to completely neutralize 

 all acidity by one application." 



Agricultural A'alue and reclamation of Minnesota peat soils, F. J. 

 Alway (Minnesota Sta. Bui. 188 {1920), pp. 7-136, figs. 111).— The purpose of 

 this bulletin is to give a fair perspective of the agricultural possibility of the. 

 peat soils of Minnesota and the difficulties connected with their development. 

 There are approximately 7,000,000 acres of peat soils in the State, occupying 

 about one-eighth of its area. Tamarack and spruce occupy most of this land. 

 Only a few thousand acres have been cultivated, usually with disappointing 

 returns. " The future possibilities of these lands lie in their use for agriculture, 

 forestry, and industrial purposes." 



Drainage is the first essential step in the reclamation of these soils, fol- 

 lowed by liming as an indispensable step, particularly on the low-lime peats. 

 Potash and phosphate fertilizers are usually required also, although on IMin- 

 nesota bogs those needing phosphate only have been most frequently encoun- 

 tered. Caution and moderation are advised with reference to the reclamation 

 of these lands. It is pointed out that drainage alone will not make them 

 productive, and large-scale reclamation should be preceded by systematic inves- 

 tigations and small-scale trials to establish the profitableness of reclamation. 



Experiments in the reclamation of alkali soil, F. B. Headley (U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Dept. Circ. 80 (1920), pp 16-18).— A. series of 2-year rotations beguiT in 

 1917 on the Newlands (formerly the Truckee-Carson ) Reclamation Project 

 Experiment Farm near Fallon, Nev., to study the effect of manure in improving 

 alkali soils have shown a gradual improvement, which is proceeding faster on 

 soils receiving manure in the rotation. 



Experiments begun in 1914, the treatments in which included the application 

 of gypsum, sulphuric acid, manure, tile subdrainage, and green manuring with 

 clover, showed that the yields of the soils treated with gypsum and sulphuric 

 acid have been decidedly greater each year than those from untreated plats, 

 but not large enough to be profitable. 



The prevention of soil erosion. — I, Treating hillside ditches.— 11, 

 Checking overfalls, M. H. Hoffaian and A. W. Tuknek (loica Agr. Col. Ext. 

 Bui. 73 (1920), pp. W, figs. 4; 7Jf (1920). pp. W, fi(>S- 5).— This report is in 

 two parts and deals with practice in checking and preventing soil erosion 

 in Iowa. 



Part I deals with the treatment of hillside ditches. It is stated-that one 

 of the best methods of preventing hillside wash in Iowa is the practice of 



