1014 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



aud iu different sections sliow an increase of mineral residue from north to 

 south. This variation is shown at leiist from the northern border of the State 

 to a line drawn from Quincy to Ottawa and probably to the southeast of the 

 above line as indicated by isolated cases. 



"The deep drift waters are so very variable that such tests as free annnonia 

 and consumed oxyj^en have little value as means for jud^inK their purity. 

 Waters containing more sodium than is required to unite with the nitrate, 

 chlorin, and sulphate ions predominate. 



" The streams are all turbid and impure. The turbidity is more persistent 

 to the south. All must be treated before being used for drinking purposes." 



Bacteria in water, A. Koch {Jahresber. Gdrunffs-OrganifDUcn, 16 {1905), 

 pp. 15.'i-171). — The literature of this subject appearinji during 1!)05 is reviewed. 



Some features of the fifth report of the Royal Commission on Sewage 

 Disposal, H. Lemmoin-Cannon (Jour. Roy. Sanit. Inst., 30 {1909), No. 1, 

 PI). 5S-G3). — This is a brief summary of some of the chief features of this 

 report, which has been i)reviously noted (E. S. R., 20, p. (JlT), relating to sewage 

 farming, processes in artificial systems, including preliminary treatment, c-hem- 

 ical precipitation, septic tank treatment, and preparation and utilization of 

 sludge, comparative cost of treatment by land and by artificial processes, and 

 standards for sewage effluents. The conclusions of the report do not indicate 

 any decided advantage of artificial treatment over land treatment either as 

 regards efficiency or economy provided soil and other conditions are favoi-able 

 to land treatment. 



Purification and disposal of town and factory sewage, A. Reich {Reinigung 

 und Bescitigung stddtUcher und gewerblicher Ahwiisscr. Hanover, 1907, pp. 1.i9, 

 pi. 1, figs. 30).— This is a concise summary of information regarding the nature 

 of town and factory sewage, the collection and examination of water samples, 

 the self-purification of streams, and methods of purification of sewage, includ- 

 ing mechanical and mechanical-chemical methods, irrigation, biological processes, 

 and electrical methods. 



SOILS— FERTILIZERS. 



The agricultural soils of Cape Colony, C. F. Juritz {Agr. Jour. Cape Good 

 Hope. 33 (1908), Nos. I, pp. 33-.'i5 ; 2, pp. 171-187, map 1; 3, pp. 318-335, figs. 2; 

 J,, pp. .',73-1,90; 5, pp. 599-613, figs. 3; 6, pp. 7.',3-7.',9, figs. 3; 3.', {1909), Sos 1, 

 pp. 6.1,-90, figs. 3; 2, pp. 166-lS-',, figs. 3; 3, pp. 277-29),, figs. 2).— This article 

 discusses the value of chemical analysis as a means of determining the fertility 

 of soils, describes methods commonly employed for such analysis, especially 

 those used by the author in the examination of Cape Colony soils, presents an 

 ai-gumcnt in favor of systematic soil surveys and investigation in the colony, 

 and reports results of analyses of about 800 sami)les of soil from different parts 

 of the colony, of which 442 were collected in pursuance of a systematic soil 

 survey and represented 27,000 square miles, or one-tenth of the total area. 



Most of the soils were analyzed by the standard method based on extraction 

 with hydrochloric acid of 1.115 sp. gr. A considerable number, however, were 

 examined by the German official method and a few by the Maercker, Hilgard, 

 and Dyer methods for comparative purposes. 



The humus deposits in the limestone Alps, Wilhelm Graf zu Leiningen 

 {Naturw. Ztsclir. Forst u. Landw., 6 {1908), No. 11, pp. 529-538, pis. 2; 7 

 {1909). Nos. 1, pp. 8-32; 8, pp. 160-173; 5, pp. 21^9-273).— This article discusses 

 Alpine peat dei)osits in general; the terminology of forms of humus: peat 

 formation in wet aud dry places; relation of animal life, lower organisms and 

 wind-borne matter, character of plants, character of decomposition, and pres- 



