SOILS FERTILIZERS. 823 



The action of gypsum as a fertilizer. M. Soavk (Staz. Sprr. Agr. Ttal., .'fl 

 {I'.IDS), \i>. S. iii>. ',l.i-.:oo. fijjx. J: aits, in Chcm. ZrntbL, J!)OS, II. .Vo. UK p. 

 1027). — Tliis article c-ontains a geiioral disoussion of this subjoct and reports a 

 series of pot exiu'riinents to deterinine the cheniicil efiect on soils of the api»Ii- 

 cation of .iry|)snni and to compare the effect of jrypsuui with that of snlphate 

 of iH)tash on corn and beans. The effect of gypsnni alone was insignificant. 

 When combined with solnble potash, liowever, it seemed to produce a beneficial 

 effect. 



Manganese sulphate, M. dk .Moi.inaui and (). Lkjot iAnn. ficmblour, IS 

 {I'JOS), \o. 11. pp. ()09-6ll). — Tests of this material as a fertilizer on oats and 

 barley grown in pots on soil containing 0.12 per cent of manganese are reported. 

 No benefit from its use was observed. The same was true in similar tests of 

 the sulphates of iron, copper, and zinc. 



The action of zinc in pot experiments. V. Eiirenberg (lbs*, in Chcm. Ztg.. 

 32 ilUOS). \o. 78, p. !>37). — This is an abstract of a paper presented before the 

 eightieth convention of the German Association of Naturalists and Physicians, 

 which reported exiieriments to determine the effect of zinc in the soil on the 

 phj-sical and chemical properties of the soil and on the germination of seeds 

 and growth of plants. Experiments were made with zinc plates buried in pots 

 containing ditltTcnt kinds of soil and receiving different kinds of fertilizers. 

 It was note<l especially that the injurious effects were most marked in case of 

 the use of ammonium salts as fertilizers. This is attributed to the corrosive 

 art ion of ammonia set free by the reaction of the zinc on the annnoniuni salts. 



Influence of the weather on the action of commercial fertilizers, W. von 

 SvciAXKO (rUhling's Latuhc. Ztg., 57 (1908), Xo. 20, pp. 6.98-70/ ) .—Reference 

 is made to a previous article by Grohmann (K. S. R., 20. p. 311) which main- 

 tained that the results of many of the experiments heretofore made do not 

 I^erniit of reliable conclusions because no exact account was taken of the in- 

 fluence of weather conditions, and an attempt is made to show the direct 

 relation between varying conditions of moisture and temperature and the action 

 of fertilizers as demonstrated by observations on fertilizer experiments with 

 strawberries, carrots, kohl-rabi, peas, and other vegetables in which the results 

 were carefully correlated with the weather conditions. 



On the mixing of commercial fertilizers, B. Schulze {Dent. Lmulir. Prryine, 

 ,{.') ilHos), \f). 71), p. HO.i, fig. 1). — This article explains briefly in text and 

 diagram wluit fertilizing materials can safely be mixed and which should not 

 l>e niixcil. 



The use of peat in the preparation of fertilizers, ammonium salts, and 

 nitrates, II. Uoisskt (Rn: (l&n. Chitn., II (1908), Ao. 17, pp. .iO.-,~.ill. jig.t. .', : 

 libs, in i'hrm. Ztg., 32 (1908), Xo. 8.',, Rrpcrt., p. 532; Ztsclir. Angcw. Chcm., 22 

 < 1909), \o. 5, p. .^07).— This is a study of the methods of Ricknuinn. Woltereck, 

 Mfintz and (Jlrard. and (Jaillot and Rris.set. which are based upon the couver- 

 Blon of pesit nitrogen Into ammonia and the formation of nitrates from the 

 nnniiiiiil:i. 



Obtaining ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen by means of peat. II. (". 

 NVoi.TKRKt K i.\bs. in Chcm. Ztg.. 32 ( 1908), Xo.78, p.9'il; Chcm. Xcus,98 (1908), 

 \<>. 2.-,',9. p. 103 : .lour. Itil. Agr. \L»n<lon\, 15 (1908), Vo. 12, p. 928).— In thi>* 

 abstra<t of a i)aper presenled at the recent Dublin meeting of the British .Asso- 

 ciation for the advancement of Science, attention is called to a nielhod now in 

 us«> in Ircl.'md H'arnlougii) in which ammonia is i)nMluced by passing air and 

 water va|ior over peat at a low lieat In especially devised furnaces. Besides 

 snlpliate of ammonia (amounting tti 5 per cent of the dry peat), other products, 



7!)2ls— No. !i— <j;> 3 



