18 EXPERIMENT STATION BECOED. 



The summer rains had the greatest influence on size of harvest. When very 

 heavy they decreased the grain yield of straw crops, especially rye. Heavy 

 summer rains were also unfavorable to potatoes, but favorable to beets. The 

 maximum moisture content occurred in December and then only in the culti- 

 vated topsoil. The minimum occurred in August under wheat and in July of 

 the same year under rye. The soil water at all three depths was utilized the 

 least by potatoes, beets, and peas, and the most by wheat. These results are 

 taken to indicate that potatoes, pcafj, and rye are crops adapted to light soils, 

 while wheat, oats, and beets are adapted to heavy soils. 



Influence of soil composition on medicinal plants, F. A- Milleb (Jour. 

 Amer. J'harm. Assoc, 3 (lOH), Xo. 1, pp. 308-314; Lilly Sci. Bui., 1. scr.. No. 6 

 (1915), pp. 219-226). — In pot and field experiments with digitali-s, stramonium, 

 and belladonna on different soils using various CDnunorcial fertilizers it was 

 found that sodium nitrate, potassium sulphate, a normal fertilizer, acid phos- 

 phate, and a mixture of equal parts of .sodium nitrate and p<»tas.sium sulphate 

 had no effect on digitalis. A normal fertilizer caused an Increase in the per- 

 centage of total alkaloids in stramonium. ScKlium nitrate, pota.ssium sulphate, 

 acid pho.sphate, potassium nitrate, and a normal fertilizer cau.sed a considerable 

 increa.se in the percentage of alkaloids in the leaves of belladonna, but little 

 change was produced in the alkaloid content of the roots. 



In further experiments it was found that the transplanting of belladonna in 

 soils of different composition cau.setl a considerable decrease in percentage of 

 alkaloids regardless of the soil treatment. The soils use«l were leaf mold, equal 

 parts of clay and leaf mold, equal parts of clay and sand, equal parts of clay 

 and the field soil in which the original plants were grown, and the .soil in which 

 they were originally grown. Even when grown In the same soil as the original 

 plant the decrease in alkaloids varie<l from 20 to 57 i>er cent, while on widely 

 different soils the difference in alkaloid yields was much smaller. 



" The results as a whole indicate that further work Is necessary on the Influ- 

 ence of soil composition upon medicinal plant.s before any generalizations can 

 be made." 



The adsorptive power of soils, II, P. Rohland (Intcriifit. Mitt. Bodenk., 5 

 (1915), No. 2, pp. 102-112). — This article represents the author's second con- 

 tribution (E. S. R., 33, p. 420) to the subject. It deals with the adsorptive 

 power of soils for salt.s water, and coloring matter, e.speclally the last, and 

 explains the difference between adsorption and exchange of bases. 



Soil colloids and their adsorptive power, P. Rohland (Latulic. Jahrb., 4^ 

 (1914), No. 2, pp. 239-247)- — This article covers practically the same ground as 

 the above. 



The injurious transformation of nitrogen in upland moor soils as a result 

 of heavy applications of lime, T. Arnd {Landw. .hihrh.. 4? (1914). ^o. 3, pp. 

 311-442, figs. 2). — Chemical and biological studies of moss peat and heather 

 humus from upland moor soils, with reference to the effect of adding lime in 

 different quantities on the forms of available nitrogen pre.sent, are reported. 



The results, in general, indicate that with increa.se<l liming of upland mo«.r 

 soils nitrate reduction Increases, accompanietl by nitrogen los.ses and the trans- 

 formation of nitrate nitrogen Into insoluble form.s. The raw. strongly acid 

 humus was found to be an unfavorable medium for the growth and activity of 

 soil bacteria, but limiug produce<l a neutral or alkaline reaction and made the 

 conditions such that the bacterial activity of the soils increaseil with increas- 

 ing lime additions. The following conclusions are drawn from these experi- 

 ments : 



Liming of an upland moor soli which had not reoelvctl nitropi^n fertllzation 

 resulteil in a microbiological fixation of a part of the already small amount of 



