26 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



The effects of fertilizers other than that of adding plant food, L. L. Van 

 Slyke {Cornell , Countryman , 11 {1913), No. 2, pp. 51-53). — This article dis- 

 cusses briefly certain secondary aud subsidiary effects of sodium nitrate, am- 

 monium sulphate, superphosphate, potassium chlorid, and potassium sulphate 

 when applied as fertilizers. These arc cited as examples " to illustrate the fact 

 that, in applying commercial fertilizers to the soils, some account must be taken 

 of the effects other than those of supplying plant food. If this is not done, not 

 only may the applied plant food fail to produce the desired effect but even act 

 injuriously." 



The nitrogen content of night soil from the city of Florence, N. Passerini 

 {Atti R. Accad. Econ. Agr. Georg. Firenze, 5. ser., 10 {1913), No. 4^ pp. 553- 

 360; Bol. 1st. Agr. Scaridicci, 2. ser., 7 {1913), No. 4, pp. 315-322) .—Analyses of 

 a number of samples of both solid and liquid material are reported. 



Tests of the agricultural value of the nitrogen of " Poudro ", M. de 

 MoLiNAEi and O. Ligot {Ann. Gemhloux, 23 {1913), No. 11, pp. 537-544, figs. 

 2). — "Poudro" is a fertilizer prepared from household garbage and contains, 

 according to the analyses reported, from 0.39 to 0.84 per cent of nitrogen and 

 somewhat smaller amounts of phosphoric acid and potash. In pot experiments 

 with oats on clay soil and sand its nitrogen appeared to be quite active as 

 compared with that of ammonium sulphate. 



The production of artificial fertilizing materials from the nitrogen of the 

 air, A. Bencki: {Die Erzeugung kunstUcher Diingemittel mit Luftstickstoff. 

 Vienna and Leipsic, 1913, pp. VII-\-204, figs. 58). — The various processes pro- 

 posed for this purpose are fully described and discussed, as is the industrial 

 value of the products. 



How can the dusty condition of lime nitrogen be lessened? A. Stutzeb 

 {Deut. Landiv. Presse, 40 {1913), No. 84, pp. 1002, 1003).— It was found that 

 lime nitrogen mixed with from 10 to 15 per cent of ground bog iron ore kept 

 for 7 months in good mechanical condition and without loss of fertilizing value. 



On the decrease of available phosphoric acid in mixed fertilizers contain- 

 ing acid phosphate and calcium cyanamid, R. N. Brackett et al. {Jour. 

 Indus, and Engin. Chem., 5 {1913), No. 11, pp. 933-935). — In the experiments 

 reported in this article it was found that there was a gradual increase of insolu- 

 ble phosphoric acid in mixtures of cyanamid and acid phosphate. The experi- 

 ence of fertilizer manufacturers and the results of fertilizer inspection indicate 

 the same thing, viz, that the mixing of cyanamid with acid phosphate will injure 

 the fertilizer from the farmer's standpoint, and that if a considerable amount 

 of the cyanamid is used in the mixture the fertilizer will be found on inspection 

 to be decidedly deficient in available phosphoric acid. 



Fertilizer analysis, E. A. Mitscheelich and W. Simmermacheb {Landw. 

 Jahrb., 43 {1912), No. S, pp. 405-435; a'bs. in Jour. Chem. 8oc. [London], 104 

 {1913), No. 609, I, p. 812; Chem. ZentU., 1913, I, No. 18, pp. 1627, 1628).— In 

 experiments with various phosphates on oats not only the yield but the phos- 

 phorus content of the crop followed the law of minimum as theoretically for- 

 mulated by the author. The latter, therefore, proposes that the results of de- 

 terminations of phosphoric acid soluble in a saturated solution of carbon dioxid 

 be correlated directly with yields and not with the phosphorus content. 



The different phosphates behaved very differently. With monocalcium phos- 

 phate there was an excess {luxus) consumption of phosphorus by the plant 

 which is measured by the water solubility of the phosphate. The saturation 

 concentration of the carbon dioxid solution with phosphate was dependent upon 

 the temperature. The temperature of saturation must be kept as nearly as 

 possible the same as that under which the plants grow in order that comparable 

 results may be obtained. The author adopted 15* C. as most nearly meeting 



