728 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



phosphatic fertilizers contained less nitrogen than those receiving phosphate 

 alone. 



Note on the effect of lime upon the availability of the soil constituents, 

 F. B. Guthrie and L. Cohen (Jour, and Proc. Roy. 8oc. N. 8. Wales, 1,1 (1907), 

 pp. 61-66; ahs. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 9J, (1908), No. 552, II, p. 889).— 

 For an abstract of other repoi'ts of this work see a previous note (E. S. R., 20, 

 p. 125). 



Concerning the influence of various relations between lime and magnesia 

 on the development of plants, L. Rernardini and G. Corso (Staz. Sper. Agr. 

 Ital., 41 (1908), No. 2-4, pp. 191-208).— Culture experiments with rye, corn, 

 and kidney beans are here reported. Rye and corn were cultivated in a nutri- 

 tive solution containing per 1,000 ec. of distilled water: Nitrate of soda 1 gm., 

 mono-potassium phosphate 0.5 gm., potassium chlorid 0.25 gm., calcium sul- 

 phate 0.5 gm., and iron chlorid trace. To this sulphate of magnesia was added 

 in varying amounts to give the following proportions of lime to magnesia : 

 3, 2, 1, -h i. 



Rye gave the best result in the solution in which the relation of lime to 

 magnesia equaled 1, and better results with the higher proportions than the 

 lower ; corn gave the best result with the proportion of lime to magnesia equal 

 to 2, and better with the higher than the lower, showing that an excess of lime 

 does less harm than an excess of magnesia. 



In the pot experiments soil of known composition was used and the propor- 

 tions between lime and magnesia wex'e made the same as in the nutritive solu- 

 tion experiments and the same results were obtained with rye and corn ; with 

 kidney beans the proportion of lime to magnesia equal to 3 gave the best result. 



In field experiments with corn 6 plats were manured as follows : I. 535 lbs. 

 of gypsum per acre; II, 356 lbs. of air-slaked lime per acre; III, 1.070 lbs. of 

 sulphate of magnesia per acre ; IV, 1,780 lbs. of sulphate of magnesia per acre ; 

 V, 178 lbs. of oxid of magnesia per acre; and VI, none. Plat V gave the best 

 return, but the differences were not so marked as in the solution and pot ex- 

 periments. 



Cooperative fertilizer trials in Malmohus County, Sweden, 1907, L. Fors- 

 BERG and M. Weibull (Malmo. Ldns K. HushaU. Sallsk. Kvrtlsskr., 1908, No. 1, 

 pp. 123-140, dgms. 2). — Trials with different fertilizers for root crops, potatoes, 

 small grains, etc., were conducted on 45 farms in southern Sweden on a plan 

 similar to that followed in earlier years. The amounts of calcium carbonate 

 and assimilable lime in the soils on which the fertilizer trials were conducted 

 are reported. 



Chemical manures in Italy, Towsey (Dipl. and Cons. Rpts. [London], Ann. 

 Ser., 1908, No. 4U5, pp. 30-32) .—From statistics given in a bulletin of the 

 Italian ministry of agriculture it is shown that the chemical fertilizers pre- 

 pared in Italy are principally superphosphates and sulphate of ammonia. Of 

 the former, about 800,000 metric tons of mineral superphosphate and 50,000 

 metric tons of bone superphosphate were produced in 1907. Of sulphate of 

 anmionia about 10,000 metric tons was produced as a by-product of the gas 

 industry and 100 metric tons from other sources. Of organic nitrogenous 

 manures there was probably produced about 40,000 metric tons. There were 

 in 1907 82 factories in Italy for the preparation of sui)erphospliates. supplying 

 practically all of this material consumed in Italy and a certain amount for 

 exportation to neighboring countries. The sulphate of ammonia produced is 

 about half of that required. In addition 41,900 metric tons of nitrate of soda, 

 7,000 metric tons of potash salts, and 100,000 metric tons of Thomas slag were 

 imported in 1907. 



