SOILS FERTILIZERS. 517 



followed by field trials, is suggested as the best method for determining the 

 fertilizer requirements of a soil. 



A short survey of present views on the relation of fertilizers to soil fer- 

 tility, F. B. GuTHEiE (Rpt. Austral. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1^ {1913), pp. 6J/2-G61). — 

 In a brief review of recent experimental work conducted in this country and 

 abroad regarding the relation of fertilizers to soil fertility, it is pointed out 

 " that the action of fertilizers is not confined to supplying the crop with 

 food . . . and that fertilizers influence the physical structure of the soil and 

 also its biological and chemical conditions in a great variety of ways ; further, 

 that we have to take into account a large number of factors which influence 

 the fertility of the soil, and which are quite independent of its supply of plant 

 food. . . . Fertilizers may exert an influence on the toxic matters produced 

 in the soil, . . . and quite remarkable effects are produced by substances added 

 in quantities much too minute to act as nourishment to the plant." 



Influence of different fertilizers on the growth of important crops, A. 

 Mausbekg {Illus. Lanclic. Ztg., 35 {1915), Nos. 13, pp. 15, 76; IJf, pp. 81, 82).— 

 The substance of this article was contained in a previous report (E. S. R., 30, 

 p. 219). 



Tests relative to mixing fertilizers with seed, 1912-1913, L. BRETiGNri;BE 

 and J. Caetiek {Ann. Ecole Nat. Agr. Grignon, 4 {1913), pp. 1-13, figs. 2). — 

 Tests, on a deep siliceous clay soil, a shallow limestone soil, and a limy clay 

 soil rich in organic matter, to determine the effect on the yield of barley, clover, 

 and vetch of mixing phosphatic fertilizers with the seed and sowing the mixture 

 from a seeder showed that such mixing resulted in a decided increase in grain 

 and straw in the case of vetch and clover, and a slight decrease in the case 

 of barley. 



Further tests with oats and beets, using 12 different nitrogenous, phosphatic, 

 and potassic fertilizers, showed that the nitrates of sodium and calcium, 

 ammonium sulphate, dried blood, superphosphate, slag, potassium chlorid, mag- 

 nesium sulphate, and a so-called radio-active fertilizer can be safely mixed 

 with oats seed. Mixing the oats seed with potassium sulphate decreased the 

 yield of grain and mixing with cyanamid was decidedly injurious to the plant. 

 The growth of beets was very unfavorably influenced by mixing the seed with 

 cyanamid and to a less extent by mixing with potassium chlorid, manganese 

 sulphate, and the radio-active fertilizer. Only a slight increase in yield was 

 obtained by mixing the beet seed with the other fertilizers. 



Tlie composition, storage, and application of farmyard manure {Jour. Bd. 

 Agr. [London'], 22 {1915), No. 2, pp. 131-135) .—This work has been more fully 

 reported in bulletin form (E. S. R., 32, p. 818). 



Experiments with, liquid manure, J. Vogel {Mitt. Detit. Landw. Geselh, SO 

 {1915), No. 3.'t, pp. 498-502). — Laboratory experiments with cow urine are 

 reported, the purpose of which was to determine (1) the influence of aeration 

 on the nitrogen content of liquid manure, (2) the transformations undergone 

 by liquid-manure nitrogen after absorption by peat litter, and (3) whether 

 or not the nitrogen of peat-litter liquid-manure mixture reaches the soil in 

 available form. 



It was found that no fixed relation existed between the nitrogen content of 

 fresh urine and its specific weight. Urine stored for four weeks in air showed 

 evidences of ammonia formation, but only slight nitrogen losses. Slight 

 aeration of the urine produced only a very gradual ammoniacal fermentation. 

 When air was excluded from the urine by an oil covering there were no 

 appreciable nitrogen losses, while without the oil covering and with long 

 exposure the nitrogen losses were marked. Ammonia formation continued 



