1920] SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 423 



177-183; 5, pp. 318-324). — Popular information is given on tlie treatment of 

 maize soils for the maintenance of fertility, special attention being called to the 

 proper aiipliration of manure, fertilizers, green manure crops, and cultivation. 



Conservation of manure in tlie Trovince of Ostergiitland — as it is and 

 as it should be, 11. von Feilitzkn {(Joilselvurdem i Ostcrf/otlandJi Lan — 

 S(1dan den Ar och Sudan den Bordc Vara. Goicborg [Stceden]: Gotrborg 

 Printing Co., 1920, pp. 77. figs. 30). — Popular information is given on the value, 

 cons(>rvation, and proper use of barnyard manure. 



Engineering and sanitation for manure, .]. M. de Sokoa {Bol. Agr. T6c. y 

 Econ., 12 (1920), No. 134, PP- 112-127, figs. 7).— The design and construction 

 of pits for the con.servation of stable manure to meet conditions in Spain are 

 described. 



Conservation of liquid manure, Geklach (Miit. Deut. Landw. Gencll., SS 

 (1918), No. 31, p. 441 ; also in Zcntbl. Agr. Chem., 48 {1919), No. 5, pp. 187- 

 190). — Experimente on the conservation of liquid manure witli peat litter, 

 potash salts, gypsum, formalin, sodium sulphate, and superphosphate are 

 reported. 



The use of peat litter for this purpose was found to be especially desirable 

 where the litter is cheap. Potash salts, when added to the extent of 10 per 

 cent decreased the nitrogen loss from 64 to 67 per cent. Kainit gave the best 

 results. Finely ground gypsum reduced the nitrogen loss from 53 to 63 per 

 cent. The addition of 0.75 per cent of formalin, containing 30 per cent formal- 

 dehyde, to fresh liquid manure was sufficient to prevent the formation of 

 gaseous nitrogenous compounds. When the acid-reacting salts, sodium bisul- 

 phate and superphosphate,-were added to liquid manure in amounts sufficient 

 to impart a permanent slightly acid reaction there was little or no loss of 

 -nitrogen. Owing to its general use as a fertilizer, superphosphate is con- 

 sidered the best material for this purpose. 



What significance has peat litter for a better conservation of natural 

 fertilizers, especially in view of the prevailing high prices of artificial 

 fertilizers? H. vox Feii.itzen ( Vjlken Betijdelse Bar Torrstruct for ctt Biittre. 

 Tillvaratagande av den Natvrliga Godscln, Siirskilt nied JlUnfujn till Nuvarande 

 Hoga Priser pd KonstgiJdsel medel? Orebro, [Sweden]: Orebro New Printing 

 Co., 1917, pp. 20). — This pamphlet deals principally with the use of peat litter 

 for the conservation of liquid manure. 



Green leaf manuring of dry paddy land, F. R. Parnell (liladras Agr. 

 Dept. Yearbook, 1919, pp. 40-42). — An experiment is reported in which the 

 puddling of gree manure in paddy soil was compared with plowing it into the 

 dry land after harvest. It was found that the yield from the puddled plats 

 Was over 11 per cent greater than that from the dry plats, and the results 

 on the plats individually and collectively were distinctly in favor of puddling 

 the green manure before planting. 



Effect of chemical fertilizers on the hydrogen-ion concentration of 

 soils, F. W. Morse {Com. Pert., 20 {1920), No. 4, p. 8^).— Data on the fertilized 

 plats at the Massachusetts Experiment Station are reported, showing that 

 neutral salts with strong bases and strong acids, such as sodium nitrate, po- 

 tassium chlorid, potassium sulphate, and calcium sulphate had little or no 

 effect on the soil reaction in fertilized soil. Superphosphate composed of a 

 Strong base combined with a rather weak acid behaved in a similar way to 

 the neutral salts. Ammonium sulphate, however, acted as a slightly ionized 

 acid and calcium carbonate as a slightly ionized base. The values always 

 remained within the limits given by these two compounds. 



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