SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 323 



gray or white silt loam, are only slightly acid. For the average soils nitrogen 

 is decidedly the most limiting element. The chief factors in maintaining the 

 fertility of Franklin County soils consist (1) in preventing soil erosion, (2) in 

 increasing the organic matter and nitrogen content, and (3) in liberating plant 

 food from the large store of mineral elements present in these soils." 



The soils of Tennessee, C. A. Mooebs (Resources Tenn., 5 {,1915), No. 4, pp. 

 155-173, pi. 1, figs. 6).— This report deals briefly with the characteristics, crop 

 adaptabilities, and fertility requirements of the soils of the different natural 

 divisions of Tennessee, the topography of which varies from gently undulating 

 and hilly to mountainous. Tlie upland soils of the State are mainly of residual 

 origin. The prevailing soil types are silt loams and loam.s, with one large area 

 of fine sandy loam. The subsoils include heavy silt loams, clay loams, and clay. 

 The soils of the central basin of middle Tennessee, covering 5,400 square miles, 

 are practically all of limestone origin and are considered to be the most durable 

 and productive under cultivation of any large area in the State. 



The re.sults of analyses and studies of the soils from the different divisions 

 made at the Tennessee Experiment Station are reviewed as a basis for recom- 

 mendations for fertility and cultural treatment. 



[Soil analyses], F. H. Range {Bol. Dept. Nac. Fomento [Paraguay], No. 7 

 (1914), PP- 34-37). — Analyses of 17 samples of tobacco, banana, alfalfa, and 

 pineapple soils are reported. 



Soils and agriculture of North "Wales, G. W. Robinson (Jour. Bd. Agr. 

 [London], 22 (1915), No. 3, pp. 216-222).— It is stated that the soils of North 

 Wales are in general medium loams of comparatively uniform mechanical com- 

 position and contain sand and silt in fairly equal proportions. Clay is almost 

 invariably the smallest fraction. The soils usually have a high content of 

 organic matter and chemically are almost always deficient in carbonate of lime, 

 but are relatively well supplied with potash soluble in hydrochloric acid. Con- 

 siderable areas of waste land occur in the region, consisting of sandy stretches, 

 peat, glacial drift soil, and heather moors. Grass is the predominant feature 

 in the farming of North Wales, and the proportion of arable land is generally 

 less than 30 per cent of the total. 



Kesearches on the concentration of the liquid circulating in Libyan soils 

 E. Pantanelli (Bui. Orto Bot. R. Univ. Napoli, 4 (1914), pp. 371-383). — Ex- 

 periments to determine the relative concentrations of the soil solutions of oasis 

 garden, flat plain, hill, cultivated hill, sand dune, desert, and salt marsh soils 

 from Tripoli are reported. 



It was found that the concentration of the soil solution in salts was correctly 

 measured by determining the electrolytic conductivity of the liquid percolate 

 of the soil. Dialysis of the soil solution served to separate the colloid.s. The 

 concentration of the solution of the dune sands was the lowest. The solutions 

 of oasis, garden, and flat plain soils were nearly of the same concentration, 

 which is classed as low. The concentration of the hill soil solution was slightly 

 higher than these, and that of the desert soils and cultivated hill soils still 

 slightly higher. The salt marsh soils contained a highly concentrated solution 

 which was, however, low in colloidal matter. The sandier soils of the de.sert 

 and hills, while low in crystalline salts, were relatively high in colloidal matter. 

 The concentration of the solution of the oasis sand soils and dune sands 

 increased slightly with the depth, while the opposite was true with the salt soils. 



Lithium in soils, L. A. Steinkoenig (Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 7 



(1915), No. 5, pp. 425, 420; abs. in Chem. Abs., 9 (1915), No. 13, p. 1815).— 



Determinations of the lithium content of 19 samples of soils taken from six 



different areas in the United States showed that lithium, although occurring 



24307°— No. 4—16 3 



