222 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tricalciuui i)liosphate of raw hone meal aud the insoluble phosphate of natural 

 raw rock phosphate are made soluble by soil bacteria rather than to attempt 

 any explanation of the processes involved." 



It was found that many soil organisms, not specific acid producers, as, for 

 example, BuciUus sabtilis, B. vnjcoidcs, B. protcus vulgaris, and B. coli coni^ 

 munis, as well as several agar cultures from garden soil, were capable of 

 dissolving the phosphate of bone and to a less extent that of mineral i)h()s- 

 phate. The authors are therefore of the opinion that acid is not the sole 

 solvent in this process, although an important one, as shown by the greatly 

 increased solvent action in cultures of the acid-producing organisms, B. acidi 

 lactici an(J " mother of vinegar," in milk aud fermented wort. 



The carbon dioxid liberated by the organisms also appear to be an important 

 factor in dissolving the phosphates. The investigations show further that 

 the character of the culture solution has an important bearing upon the solvent 

 action. With the nonacid-producing organisms the greatest solvent effect in 

 case of bone meal was obtained in a culture solution made up of sodium chlorid, 

 potassium sulphate, and ferrous sulphate, with asparagin as the source of 

 nitrogeu. Organisms grown in an agar medium containing also magnesium and 

 ammonium sulphates exerted no solvent action on either calcium carbonate, 

 dicalcium or tricalcium phosphate, bone meal, or mineral phosphate. When, 

 however, sugar was added, the phosphates were attacked, as also when meat 

 extract was added, although the action in this case was much reduced. 



The solvent action of soil bacteria upon the insoluble phosphates of raw 

 bone meal and natural raw rock phosphate, W. G. Sackett, A. J. Patten, and 

 C. W. Brown (Centbl. Balct. [etc.}, 2. Abt., 20 (1908), No. 21-23, pp. 68S-70.i; 

 abs. in Jour. Chem. Sac. [London], 9^ (1908), No. o.)!, II, p. 415). — See abstract 

 above. 



On the action of agricultural phosphate, O. Bottcher (Dcut. Landw. 

 I'rcsse, 35 {1908), No. 23, pp. 253, 25Jf). — Pot and field experiments by the 

 author to test the fertilizing value of this material, which is a fine ground 

 raw phosphate, are reviewed, the general conclusion being that this material 

 can not replace superphosphate as an efficient phosphatic fertilizer and in gen- 

 eral confirming the view expressed in the resolution adopted by the Association 

 of Agricultural Experiment Stations of the German Empire at its Dresden meet- 

 ing to the effect that raw phosphates can not be profitably used on any except 

 acid soils and that their use on other soils is not to be recommended. 



Fertilizer experiments with Thomas slag, L. Jozek (Atti 6. Cong. Intcrnas. 

 Chim. Appl., Jf (1906), pp. ^O-'i-lfOl). — In experiments with beets no increase in 

 yield was observed when Thomas slag was used alone. There was, however, a 

 considerable increase when nitrate of soda and sulphate of potash were used 

 with the slag. In the case of barley the addition of the nitrate or sulphate did 

 not materially increase the yield produced by Thomas slag alone. 



Results of cooperative experiments with fertilizers in swamp soils, R. 

 Harcourt (Ann. Rpt. Ontario Agr. and Expt. Union, 29 (1901), pp. .'i8-51). — 

 A number of such experiments in different parts of the Province of Ontario 

 are reported, the general conclusion being that in the majority of cases lime 

 gave decidedly beneficial results and that potash and phosphoric acid may be 

 profitably used on many of the soils. 



The action of lime on the bacterial life in soils, A'ogel (IUus. Landw. Ztg., 

 28 (1908), No. 21, p. 185; abs. in Chem. Abs., 2 (1908), No. 15, pp. 2119, 2120).— 

 This is a brief summary of results of some of the more recent investigations 

 regarding the beneficial influence of lime on nitrification, putrefaction, and 

 nitrogen fixation in the soil. The general conclusions ax"e that the activities 

 of all soil micro-organisms are promoted by lime and that this explains the 



