SOILS FERTILIZERS. 321 



lime were injurious wliile tlie liypsuui \v;is beuetieial provided the reaction of 

 soil and of fertilizer was not acid. 



Why are poor sandy soils often easily injured by linaing? H. Yokoyama 

 {Bui. Vol. Agi:, Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7 (IDOS), No. 5, pp. 615-617; ahs. in Jour. 

 Chem. Soc. [London], O.'f (190S), Xo. 5)9, II, p. 621). — From pot experiments 

 with oats the conclusion is drawn that the injurious effect of liming on poor 

 sandy soils is due to the fact that an improper ratio of lime to magnesia is 

 thus produced in such soils. It is recommended that in order to avoid such an 

 unfavorable ratio these soils should be limed only with dolomitic limestone. 



On the depression of growth by large doses of lime, C. Kanomata {Bui. 

 Col. Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7 {190S), Xo. 5, pp. 599-607, pi. i),— The results 

 of pot experiments with A'arying amounts of lime on a number of different crops 

 are summarized as follows: "When the amount of lime is increased in undue 

 proportion to the amount of magnesia present, the yield of oats is considerably 

 depressed. In sand culture, there was a decrease of 39 per cent of the weight 

 of shoots before flowering time, when the amounts of limestone and magnesite 

 differed so much that the ratio of lime to magnesia w^as changed from 1 : 1 

 to 100 : 1. 



•• In soil culture the decrease was 48 per cent some time after the flowering, 

 when that ratio was changed from 1 : 1 to 10: 1. 



" Corresponding observations were made with upland rice, barley, buckwheat, 

 mustard, and onion. If by proper increase of magnesia in the overlimed sand 

 again the ratio 1 : 1 is produced, there is again a considerable increase of yield. 



" These experiments form an analogy to those of Maki and Tanaka who 

 regenerated the overlimed soil by application of magnesium sulphate [E. S. R., 

 18, p. 14]. 



" It is certainlj' not the absolute amount of magnesite or of limestone which 

 comes in consideration but the ratio of lime to magnesia which determines — 

 ceteris paribus — the height of the harvest." 



On the absorption of varying amounts of lime and mag'nesia by plants, 

 T. Takextchi {Bui. Col. Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ., 7 {1908), No. 5, pp. 579-581).— 

 This article reports briefly the results of experiments made to determine the 

 effect of varying ratios of lime and magnesia in the soil, upon the ratios of these 

 elements in leaves, roots, and seeds of oats. 



It was found that an increase of lime in the soil from 0.6 to 5 per cent re- 

 sulted in a relative increase of lime from 1 to 2.1 in the roots and from 1 to 1.7 

 in the leaves. With a ratio of 1.2 parts of lime to 1 of magnesia the roots 

 absorbed twice as much lime as magnesia, while the leaves contained 2..5 times 

 as much lime as magnesia. By changing this ratio in tlie soil to 10 : 1 the ratio 

 in the roots increased to only 1.7 : 1 and in the leaf to 1.5 : 1. This small in- 

 crease, however, was accompanied by a considerable reduction in the develop- 

 ment of the plant. 



On the agronomical equivalent of artificial magnesium carbonate, S. 

 Kanamori {Bui. Col. Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ.. 7 {WOS), Xo. 5. pp. 609-612. 

 pi. 1). — From pot experiments with barley and oats the conclusion is drawn 

 that applications of 0.1 to 0.(> gm. of magnesium carbonate are agronomically 

 equivalent to 5 gm. of magnesite. A further increase of the magnesium car- 

 bonate, however, decreases the yield. 



Top-dressing with magnesium sulphate, J. N. Sirker {Bui. Col. Agr., Tokyo 

 Imp. Unir., 7 (1008), Xo. 5. pp. 613, 61Ji). — Pot experiments with barley are 

 reported which show that top-dressing with 10 kg. per hectare (8.9 lbs. per acre) 

 of magnesium sulphate increased the yield HI per cent on soil containing an 

 excessive proportion of lime to magnesia. 



