SOILS FERTILIZERS. 821 



with sulpliat*' i)f iiiinnoniii for riiv {rrowin;;. The stal)le nianiiro was ajjiilicd at 

 the rate of al»ont lit tons i»er acre and the suli)liat»' of aininoiiia at the rate of 

 ;iS4 lbs. per acre. Tw«) varieties of rice were used. The sulphate of anmionia 

 gave the largest returns Itoth in rice and straw with each variety: the percent- 

 age of increase of rice over the plats without manure was 20 and .'>!. of straw 

 72 and 40. With stable manure the increase over the unmanured i)lats was 

 IL'.r) and 1'> per cent of rice and 21 and 9 per cent of straw, for the 2 varieties 

 used. 



Note on action of nitric acid in neutralizing alkaline soil, IJ. S. Svmmonds 

 {.Jour, and I'roc. lioy. Stic. X. S. Wales, J/l (1007), /</*. .'/(j-.'/,s, pi. 1). — Pot experi- 

 ments with wheat in whicU an alkaline soil was treated with 0.2, 0.5, and 1 i)er 

 cent of nitric acid are reported, the treated soil giviufi more than five times the 

 yield of the untreated soil. It is suggested that the tlow of artesian wells might 

 be utilized to lu'oduce by electrochemical means the nitric acid required to cor- 

 rect alkalinity in soils and irrigation water. The probable cost of such an 

 installation is briefly discussed. 



Artesian waters (Jour. Dcpt. Agr. So. Aust., II {1901), No. .',, pp. 362-370, 

 fif/s. 3: U (l<)OS), No. 2, pp. 132-136, figs. 2; Queensland Agr. Jour., 21 {lOOti), 

 \o. 3, pp. I.'f8-I.'>l, figs. 3). — These articles contain further discussion of the 

 proposal of Symmonds, noted above, to use the power of flowing artesian wells 

 to produce the nitric acid needed to neutralize alkaline soils and irrigation 

 waters. 



Artesian irrigation: An antidote for alkaline waters, K. S. Symmonds (Agr. 

 (!(i:. \. S. Wales, JO ( t'JOS), No. .S, pp. U0!)-G27, figs. 8, map /).— This is a some- 

 what more detailed account of the e.xperiments noted above. 



The article calls attention to the frequent occurrence and injurious effect of 

 alkali in artesian waters used for irrigation in New South Wales. The exjieri- 

 nients reported show that this alkali can be neutralizwl successfully with nitric 

 acid with great advantage in the growth of wheat. It was also found to be 

 IKJssible tn manufacture successfully an efficient sujierphosphate by the use of 

 nitric acid. It is suggested that the flow of the artesian wells may be made to 

 furnish electric power for the production of the nitric acid needed, and data 

 :ire given showing the power of flow of a number of such wells. 



The most economical sources of nitrogen for plant food, L. A. Ci.ixto.n 

 ( l/iH. Upt. Conn. lid. Apr.. .',0 ilUOd), pp. i').l-Ui'i). — This article discusses 

 briefly the relative value and economy of different materials used to sui)iily 

 idtrogen in fertilizers, including nitrate of sod.i. ammonium suliihate. dried 

 bloo«l, ttsh and tankage, and farm manures. Conditions controlling the nitritica- 

 lioM and M\;iil;diility of nitrogenous fertilizers in the soil ;ire also briefly ex- 

 plained. 



The behavior of lime nitrogen and nitrogen lime in storage and in soils, 

 M. ropi- ( Vhem. Zlg., 32 ( IMS), No. SO, p. 072; Osterr. Chem. Ztg.. II { l<)OS), No. 

 23, p. 317). — It is stated that losses occur wlien the lime nitrogen is stored damp 

 in thin layers. I)e<-omiiosition in tlie soil depends upon the character and the 

 bacterial activity of the soil. The conditions in loam soil seem more favorable 

 than in windy soil to tiie ra|)id rendering of the nitrogen aviiilable. Excessive 

 water chwks but does not stop tliis change. Small applications of the lime nitro- 

 gen are more rajtidly transformed than large, and excessive amounts prevent bac- 

 terial action altogether and are poisonous to seeds and higher plants. 



In iK»t experiments it was found that lime nitrogen was fM) \iev cent as effective 

 as nitrate of soda and !»."• per cent as effei-tive as sulphate of ammonia. Twenty 

 per cent of the effectiveness of the lime nitrogen may be lost by applying it 



