SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 427 



of conducting a current of air, deprived of part of its oxygen by passing over 

 glowing colve, through an oven containing a mixture of clay and charcoal heated 

 by electricity. It is claimed that only a small amount of electric energy is 

 necessary in this process. 



The industrial fixation of nitrogen, E. Renouf {Amer. Cheni. Jour., 4^ 

 (1910), No. 6, pp. 5IiJi-555, figs. 3). — This is a rather full review of a paper by 

 P. A. Guye describing and discussing the fundamental principles and industrial 

 efficiency of the various processes which have been proposed for the electrical 

 fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. 



A new phosphatic fertilizer, Palniaer phosphate, MaiziSkes {Engrais, 25 

 (1910), No. 2-'f, pp. 651, 658). — This is a brief account of the method of manu- 

 facture and the fertilizing value of this material, accounts of which have al- 

 ready been noted (E. S. R., 23, p. 719). 



Notes on the rock phosphate deposits of South. Australia, H. Y. L. Brown 

 (Rpt. Austral. Assoc. Adv. 8ci., 12 (1909), pp. 239-2U, pi. 1). — An account is 

 given of the location and character of the various known deposits which are 

 scattered along the Main Range of South Australia for a distance of about 200 

 miles. It is stated that these deposits are already of economic value, about 

 24,000 tons of crude rock having been marketed since the discovery of the de- 

 posits six years ago. 



"A special feature in connection with some of these rock phosphate occur- 

 rences is their (apparent) bedded character and interstratification with soft 

 earthy argillaceous and arenaceous and calcareous beds, which are interstrati- 

 fled with the Cambrian limestones, quartzites, sandstones, and other rocks be- 

 longing to that series. This is accompanied by evidences of segregations of 

 phosphate as bands and nodular masses in clay and argillaceous material de- 

 rived from the disintegration of the soft rocks above mentioned. Quartz as 

 small veins, oxids of iron and manganese, ai*e associated in all localities hitherto 

 discovered, indicating to my mind deposition by solution from phosphate-bear- 

 ing rocks in a similar manner to what is supposed to occur in the formation of 

 lodes." 



The world's production of phosphates in 1909, Maizi^res (Engrais, 25 

 (1910), Nos. 19, pp. 516-519; 21, pp. 512-51J, ; 22, pp. er^O- 602). —Deposits in 

 different parts of the world— America, Africa, France, Belgium, Oceania, Russia, 

 Spain, and Norwaj^ — ^are briefly described. The production is stated to have 

 been 4,671,458 metric tons in 1909 as compared with 5,087,536 tons in 1908. Of 

 these amounts America consumed 2,013,284 tons in 1909 and 2,221,989 tons in 

 1908. 



Pot experiments with phonolite, and notes on the action of phonolite, L. 

 HiLTNER (Prakt. Bl. Pflanzenhau u. Schutz, n. ser., 8 (1910), No. 3-4, pp. 

 //5-//S). — Phonolite was compared with potash salts, with and without the addi- 

 tion of humus, in pot experiments with horse beans and oats. The results indi- 

 cate that about one-third of the potash of the phonolite is available during the 

 first year, that the addition of humus greatly increases the availability of the 

 potash of this substance, and that when used in this way it promotes the 

 activity of the nitrogen-assimilating bacteria of the soil. 



On the value of ground phonolite as a fertilizer (Zentbl. Agr. Chem., 39 

 (1910), No. 1,, pp. 224-229; Engrais, 25 (1910), No. 24, pp. 659, 660).— This is a 

 review of investigations on this subject by E. Wein, P. Wagner, Hiltner, M. 

 Popp, B. Tacke, F. Honcamp, Neubauer, T. Remy, Schneidewind, and von 

 Feilitzen (E. S. R., 20, p. 1022; 22, pp. 324, 325, 718; 23, pp. 24, 719; 24, p. 133). 



The use of pyritic earth in agriculture, V. Vera (Prog. Agr. y Pecuario, 

 16 (1910), Nos. 684, PP- 419, 420; 686, pp. 452, 455).— The fertilizing value of 

 this material, which occurs in abundance in many places in Spain and which 



