426 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



oi-.i,';iriic sources, about GO per cent of the amount available in 1917, and in 

 1930 not more than 28,000 tons of nitrogen, about 40 per cent of the amount 

 aviiilable in 1917. Inorganic nitrogen must, therefore, replace in 1924 about 40 

 per cent, and in 1930 over GO per cent, of the organic nitrogen now being used. 



Supply of inorganic nitrogen in the United States, D. P. Gaillaku {Chem. 

 and Metall. Engin., 22 (1920), No. IS, pp. SJfl-SJfS, fig. i).— This article con- 

 siders the supply of inorganic nitrogen for agricultural, industrial, and mili- 

 tary purposes to be expected in the years 1924 and 1930 from the coking of 

 coal and the fixation of nitrogen, and summarizes data on this subject and on 

 the subject of the probable consumption in these two years, as noted in the 

 above report. 



A chart is given showing the actual supply and consumption of inorganic 

 nitrogen for each year since 1900 and the estimated supply and consumption 

 for each year to 1930. " The chart shows how the expansion of nitrogen 

 supply from coke ovens and gas works, even though abnormally stimulated 

 by the war demand, will not furnish in the future half of the nitrogen used 

 in this country, and unless this source of supply is supplemented as soon as 

 possible by the operation of the Government fixed-nitrogen plants, and further 

 supplemented by such development of the private fixed-nitrogen industry 

 that there may be, this country will be even more dependent on imported 

 nitrogen 10 years from now than it is at present. Not only will the country 

 be less well prepared from a military point of view, but the American con- 

 sumers, which include directly a very large proportion of tlie farmers of this 

 country as well as many of the most fundamental chemical industries and 

 indirectly the gi-eater part of the population, will find it harder than ever to 

 get an adequate supply of nitrogen at a cost witliin reason." 



The German nitrogen syndicate, N. Card (Chem. Indus. [Berliit], 42 

 (WW), No. 13-14, PP- 140-153; also in Chem. and Metall. Engin., 22 (1920), 

 No. 15, pp. 686-688). — A discussion is given of Germany's capacity for nitrogen 

 fixation before and after the war and her present apparent independence in that 

 respect. 



It is noted that while before the war Germany was obliged to import some- 

 thing like 100,000 tons of nitrogen a year in order to meet her agricultural 

 and industrial requirements, she is now able to meet her greatly inci-eased 

 demands solely from domestic manufacture. The annual output, when plants 

 under construction are completed, will be more than 500,000 tons of nitrogen, 

 which will be divided as follows : Ammonia by the Haber process, 300,000 tons ; 

 ammonia from coke ovens, gas plants, and other by-products installations, 

 110,000 tons; and lime nitrogen, 100,000 tons. A description is given of gov- 

 ernment control of production, distribution, and prices. 



Atmospheric nitrogen for fertilizers, R. O. E. Davis (U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Yearbook, i5i9, pp. Ji5-i2i).— Sources of nitrogen and processes for the fixa- 

 tion of atmospheric nitrogen are discussed. 



Calcium cyanamid and dicyandiamid as vegetation factors, E. Linter. 

 (Calcium Cyanamid und Dicyandiamid als VegetationsfaJdoren. Inauy. Diss., 

 Konigsh., Prussia, 1917; ahs. in Zenthl. Agr. Chem., 48 (iW9), No. 11, pp. 414- 

 411 ; Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus-., 89 (1920), No. 4, p. i66A).— Studies of the sus- 

 pected toxic action of dicyandiamid are reported, in which mixtures of 

 dicyandiamid solution with different soils were kept for some days at 30° C. 

 (86° P.) in the presence of carbon dioxid, the mixtures being shaken for seven 

 hours each day. 



No decomposition of the dicyandiamid occurred in sand or clay, and it is 

 concluded that the toxic effect of the compound persisted until it was washed 



