514 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The climatic soil zones and their characteristic soil formations, C. Ohly 

 {Internat. Mitt. Bodenk., 3 {191S), No. 5, pp. 411-Jfo5; ahs. in Rev. Sci. [Paris], 

 52 (1914), I, No. 12, pp. 31Ii-316). — The author distinguishes the climatic zones 

 of the desert, plain, savanna, forest, and tundra on the basis of the forms of 

 vegetation found, and briefly describes their peculiar soil types. 



He concludes that the climate is the principal factor in the formation and 

 variation of soil. The more extreme the climate, the more uniform is the soil for- 

 mation, and the less is the part played by their local condition. On the other 

 hand, a variable climate, with a corresponding distribution of climatic factors, 

 results in soil formations which are due to local conditions as well as climate. 

 On this account the author concludes that the total vegetation forms of a region 

 indicate the nature of the soil and climate, and that a consideration of these 

 should be the basis of soil classification. 



Beview of climatic soil zones, K. Vogel von Falckenstein {Ber. Oterliess. 

 Gesell. Nat. u. Heilk. Giessen., Naturw. AM., 5 {1912), pp. 156, 157). ~A tabular 

 representation of the processes of soil formation in arid and humid climates is 

 given, which includes particularly podzol, chernozem, and semidesert soils. The 

 difference in soil formation in arid and humid climates is shown to depend 

 on the amount of rainfall, the possibility of evaporation, the difference in sea- 

 sons, and local influences. 



Land-climate and sea-climate high moors, H. Stremme (Poclwoviedienie 

 (Pedol-ogie), 15 {1913), No. 2-3, pp. 59-69). — ^A distinction is drawn between 

 inland high moors and sea climate high moors, principally by a comparison of 

 their prevailing types of vegetation. The prevailing type of vegetation of the 

 high moors typical of sea climate is said to be the Sphagnum or peat moss, 

 while the majority of the high moors typical of the land climate are said to be 

 wooded with Ericaceae, and have in addition to Sphagnum many forms of vege- 

 tation which require a drier soil. Also the Sphagnum formation is covered 

 with bunch grass, and some of these high moors are said to be even too dry for 

 the Sphagnum to thrive. 



Properties of the peat soils of Picardy, E. CoQinD:^ {Ann. Soi. Agron., It. 

 ser., 2 {1913), II, No. 5, pp. 566-582; ahs. in Chem. Abs., 8 {1914), No. 6, p. 

 1179). — This article describes the peat soils of the region and their vegetation, 

 and discusses their analysis as regards plant food and their dryness. The 

 soils are said to consist of a black, very combustible peat, which is very com- 

 pact, poorly aerated, of improper condition for nitrification, very poor in plant 

 food, and either excessively humid or physiologically dry. The vegetation of 

 the swamp peat soils is hygrophitic, while that of the dry peat lands is typically 

 xerophitic. 



The appearance of bleached soil and ortstein in the muck soils of the 

 North Sea marshes, F. Schucht {Inteniat. Mitt. Bodenk., 3 {1913), No. 5, pp. 

 404-4IO). — ^The author found an apparently widespread formation of bleached 

 soil (Bleicherde) and ortstein in the much weathered muck loam, muck clay, 

 and muck sand soils of the North Sea marshes. The bleached soil contained 

 some plant food, and the ortstein was wet and not hard enough to hinder 

 vegetation. 



Some factors of productiveness of soils poor in mineral plant food, K. Vogel 

 VON Falckenstein (Ber. Oherhess. Gesell. Nat. u. Heilk. Giessen., Naturw. AM., 

 5 {1912), pp. 139-151, fig. 1).—An investigation of forest soils in Germany 

 shows the poor diluvial sands of northern Germany and the sterile colored sand- 

 stone soils of middle and southern Germany to contain suflScient mineral food 

 for good forest growth. The diluvial sands are, ordinarily, of good depth, but 

 in these and the sandstone soils a heavy covering of humus causes a formation 



