1919] SOILS — FERTILIZEES. 127 



amounts of mica. The roots of plants absorb fluorin and transmit it to the 

 animals which consume them, and animals may also obtain fluorin from 

 spring water. 



Report upon the extent and character of the saline lands of the Madras 

 Presidency, W. H, Habrison {Madras Agr. Dept. Yearbook, 1918, pp. 13-25, pi. 

 1 ) . — Studies of the nature of the soluble salts present are reported, as are the 

 results of tests of various native methods of improving the lands, such as 

 adding organic matter, adding substances which produce acid on decomposi- 

 tion, mixing and washing the soil, and growing resistant plants. 



A peculiar alkaline tract in South Arcot district, M. R. Ramaswami Sivan 

 {Madras Agr. Dept. Yearbook, 1918, pp. 25-33). — Scattered patches of soil made 

 sterile by excessive amounts of sodium carbonate, soluble organic matter, and, 

 clay are described. A peculiarity of the soils is that they become friable and 

 heave when dried out. This is attributed in part to the gas resulting from the 

 decomposition of organic matter in the presence of the large amount of lime 

 (3.5 per cent) v^hich the soil contains. 



The alkali content of soils as related to crop growth, F. T. Shutt and E.. A. 

 Smith {Agr. Gaz. Canada. 6 {1919), No. 1, pp. 8-15). — This paper has already 

 been noted from another source (E. S. R., 40, p. 719). 



Soil survey of Faulkner County, Ark., E. B. Debtee and H. T. Cohn ( U. 8. 

 Dept. Agr., Adv. iSlieets Field Oper. Bur. ^oils, 1917, pp. 35, fig. 1, map 1). — This 

 survey deals with the soils of an area of 416,640 acres situated slightly north 

 of the geographical center of the State and lying entirely within the Quachita 

 Mountain belt of the Appalachian Mountain province. Topographically, the 

 northern part of the county comprises tillable plateaus with intervening, rather 

 narrow, lowland areas, while the southern part consists of alternating belts of 

 ridges and narrow valleys with wide valleys of important farming land lying 

 between these belts. In general, natural drainage is well established. 



The upland soils of the county ai*e of residual origin from Pennsylvanian 

 sandstones and shales. Soils of alluvial origin also occur along the stream 

 bottoms. In addition to rough stony land and riverwash, 17 soil types of 8 

 series are mapped. Conway silt loam, Hanceville gravelly fine sandy loam, 

 Hanceville loam, and Hanceville stony loam, predominate, occupying 30.1, 18, 

 17.4, and 13 per cent of the total area, respectively. 



Soil survey of the Anaheim area, Cal., E. C. Eckmann, A. T. Steahobn, 

 L. C. Holmes, and J. E. Guernsey {U. S. Dept. Agr., Adv. Sheets Field Oper. 

 Bur. Soils, 1916. pp. 79, pis. 3, fig. 1. map 1). — This survey, made in cooperation 

 with the University of California, deals with the soils of an area of 317,440 

 acres lying southeast of Los Angeles and fronting on the Pacific Ocean. The 

 region comprises the most important agricultural sections of Orange County, 

 together with small portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, in- 

 cluding the entire area covered by the Santa Ana survey (E. S. R., 13. p. 926), 

 and a part of the survey of the Los Angeles area (E. S. R„ 16, p. 1060). These 

 earlier surveys have been revised in the classification and mapping of the 

 soils in the present survey. 



Most of the area consists of smoothly sloping plains. Including alluvial fans 

 and river flood plains, while broken hills occur on the north and east together 

 with remnants of somewhat elevated old valley surfaces or marine terraces 

 lying along the base of the hills or bordering the ocean front. The elevations 

 range from sea level to 1,600 ft. above. It is estimated that from 50 to 60 

 per cent of the region has good natural drainage. 



Tlie soils of the area have been derived from residual, old valley filling or 

 coastal plain, and alluvial material. In addition to such miscellaneous material 



