624 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



These moors arc upland and flats, and the area of individual moors varies 

 very little, rarely being over 2,500 acres. The depth of the moor soil averages 

 between 2 and 4 meters and seldom exceeds 6 meters. The soil is rather well 

 decomposed but is poorly drained. The ash content is relatively low, and the 

 content of plant nutrients is about the same as that of the north German moor 

 soils. Analyses show the nitrogen content to exceed that of almost all other 

 soil types, and the lime content is relatively high. The soils are generally 

 deficient in phosphoric acid and potash. 



Brak in its relation to irrigation, A. Stead {Union So. Africa, Dept. Agr. 

 Jour., 1 (1920), No. 1, pp. 18-25, figs. 7). — This is a popular article on the 

 nature, occurrence, and action on soil and crops of so-called brak, or alkali, 

 with particular reference to South African conditions, and methods for its 

 removal are described. 



It is stated that brak occurs in South Africa in both dry and humid regions. 

 Removal by proper drainage is recommended. Deep plowing and the mainte- 

 nance of a surface mulch to prevent evaporation are considered essential to 

 success in cultivating brak soils. " Brak waters may be used for irrigation 

 under special conditions, but the use of water which contains sodium carbonate 

 is not to be recommended for the finer types of soil, especially if the water 

 is muddy. The action of the sodium carbonate, in addition to its effect on 

 the crop, is to render the soil impermeable and to depreciate its tillage 

 qualities." 



Notes on practical salt land reclamation, G. S. Henderson (Agr. Research 

 Inst. Pusa Bui. 91 {1920), pp [II+IG, pis. 2, figs. 2).— This bulletin describes the 

 alkali soils of the Province of Sind and alkali soil reclamation as practiced in 

 Egypt and India. 



It is stated that the three predominating alkali types in Sind soils are chlorid, 

 sulphate, and carbonate of sodium. 



It is concluded that methods of alkali land reclamation successfully adopted 

 in Egypt are suitable for northwest India, the only effective method being 

 that of washing the salt into the subsoil. Surface washing and running the 

 salt-impregnated water off periodically is a wasteful and unsatisfactory method 

 except under very special circumstances. Careful leveling is essential. Alter 

 washing, the physical texture of the soil must be improved by suitable cropping, 

 which is done in practice most easily by feeding cattle on the land on legumi- 

 nous fodder crops. 



Soil-sorption, E. Ramann and A. Spengel {Landtv. Vers. Sta., 92 {1918), pp. 

 121-U6; abs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 116 {1919), No. 686, I, p. 615; 

 Jour. Soc. Ghent.. Indus., 39 {1920), No. 2, p. 7 4 A). — Experiments are reported 

 in which an artificial zeolite, consisting of permutite and hydrated aluminum 

 alkali silicate, was treated with solutions of neutral potassium, ammonium, 

 calcium, and sodium salts. 



It was found that the interchange of bases had the character of a chemical 1 

 exchange, and no signs of physical adsorption could be detected. Potassium and ' 

 ammonium were mutually replaceable and displaced sodium and calcium com- : 

 pletely from the zeolite. The displacement of potassium and ammonium by j 

 sodium and calcium was incomplete. The ratios between the bases in the 

 solutions and in the zeolite were different. Bases present in small proportions 

 in the solution were combined by the zeolite in relatively greater amounts. 

 Within wide limits the absolute concentrations of the salts in the solution 

 were without appreciable influence on the composition of the zeolite, this being 

 the case even with mixtures of calcium salts and salts of univalent metals. 



Solid phases obtained by the evaporation of certain soil extracts, M. S. 

 Anderson and W. H. Fry {Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 12 {1920), No. 7, pp. 



