SOILS — FERTILIZERS. 1015 



once or absence of lime to the nature of tbe liumus; nature of sul)soi]s under- 

 lying peat deposits; plant food and free acids in peat; and classiticatiou of 

 types of soil, vegetation, and humus in peat deposits. 



Contribution to the study of the humus matter of peat, L. Roger and 

 E. ^ ULQUiN {Cumpt. Rciul. Acad. Sci. [Paris], lJf7 {190S), AV>. 25, pp. lJ,OJi- 

 I'lOd] . — Studies of the humus matter obtained by extracting fibrous i)eat with 

 10 per cent soda solution are reported which indicate that the process of peat 

 formation results in the accumulation of nitrogen and carbon in the products 

 of decomposition of vegetable matter. Neither pentosans nor hexosans were 

 found in the peat. A new fact observed was that the humus of peat has 

 decidedly acid properties. 



Recent results of investigations in soil bacteriology and their value for 

 agricultural practice, J. Simon {Neucre Ergchiiisse hodenhaldcriologischcr 

 FovHvhungcn, ihr Wert fiir die landivirtschaftliciic Praxis. DippoJdisivalde, 

 [li)OS], pp. 27, dgms. 2). — The author discusses the bearing of recent bacteri- 

 ological investigations on the nitrogen cycle in the soil, soil inoculation, and 

 the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil, and .the best practical means of 

 increasing the activity of beneficial soil oi'ganisms. 



Legume bacteria, S. F. Edwards and B. Barlow {Ontario Dcpt. Agr. Bui. 169, 

 pp. 32, figs. J/S). — Studies on nitrogen assimilation by legumes which have been 

 going on about 5 years are summarized. Previous accounts of this work have 

 been noted (E. S. R., 19, p. 528). The results of practical tests of inoculating 

 material prejiared and distributed by the authors are also summarized. See 

 also a previous note (E. S. R., 19, p. 1121). During 1908 "2,113 cultures were 

 distributed, and reports were returned from 634, or 31.7 per cent. Of these, 

 positive beneficial results were stated in 397, or G2.6 per cent, and no benefit 

 was apparent in 237, or 37.4 per cent." 



Investigations on the process of denitrifi^cation, M. Cingolani (Staz. Sper. 

 Agr. Hal., ^1 (1908), Ao. 8, pp. 530-5.'i0; Ann. R. Staz. Chim. Agr. Sper. Roma, 

 2. ser., 2 (1907-8), pp. 27Ji-28J,; abs. in Chem. Ztg., 32 (1908), No. 77, pp. 922. 

 923; Chem. Zcntbl., 1908, II, No. 19, pp. 1626, 1627 ; Jour. CJiem. 8oc. [London], 

 96 (1909), No. .j-')6, II, p. 171). — The author reports investigations in which he 

 isolated from fresh calf manure 2 new denitrifying organisms which he has • 

 named Bacterium poriicensis dcnitrificans a and B. porticcnsis dcnitrificans (S. 

 The morphological and cultural characters of these organisms are fully de- 

 scribed. When cultures were kept at a temperature of 97° F., intense fermenta- 

 tion developed in from 12 to 48 hours and in 2 to 6 days the nitric acid (0.3 

 per cent) had entirely disappeared. 



The action of heat and antiseptics on soils, S. U. Pickering (Jour. Agr. 

 Kci., 3 (1908), No. 1, pp. 32-.',.'i ; abs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. Indus., 28 (1909), No. ^, 

 p. 212). — In continuation of previous work on the efi'ect of moist heat on the 

 soluble constituents of soil (E. S. R., 20, i). 737), the author compared the effect 

 of moist heat and various volatile antiseptics on the productiveness of soils. 



The experiments were made with kilogram samples not only of the Rotham- 

 sted soil used in previous experiments, but also with various other kinds of 

 soils, including a sample of unproductive soil from Takoma Park, D. C. The 

 effect of the different treatments on solubility of the soil constituents and on the 

 germination of seeds of wheat, rye, clover, mustard, rye grass, and fescue was 

 determined. The results are sunnnarized as follows: 



" When soils are treated with antiseptics, such as carbon disulphid, chloro- 

 form, benzene, ether, or paraffin oil, they undergo chemical change, and the 

 soluble organic matter in them is increased, just as in case of their being heated; 

 they also exhibit tbe same inhibitory effect on the germination of seeds that 

 heated soils do. 



