WATEK SOILS. 127 



O.o3 per ceiit. F<_)r so heavy a soil the aiuount of Hnie is <-onsidere(l somewhat low, 

 0.76 per t-ent. The soil eoutained 0.07 per cent of phosphorie acid and 0.16 per cent 

 of nitrogen. The humus content was 1.85 i)er cent. 



Soil investigations, F. T. Shutt {Qtnada E.qd. Farms Epts. 1903, pp. 13S-136). — 

 Chemical analyses of soils from different parts of Canada are reported and briefly 

 discussed. 



A study of the arable soils of the Department of Aisne [Bui. Sla. Aijwn. 

 [L(i())i'}, U. set-., IS {L'WJ), p]). 35-74)- — Partial chemical analyses of soils and subsoils 

 from 27 cantons of the Department of Aisne, France, which were made for the i)ur- 

 pose of prei)aring agrii-ultural soil maps, are reported. 



The amounts of nitrogen and organic carbon in sorae clays and marls, 

 N. H. J. 3IILLKR {(Jiuirt. Jour. (icol. Soc, 59 [1903), pp. 133-140).— Thh article dis- 

 cusses changes which organic matter undergoes in the soil, as shown by studies of 

 Rothamsted, California, and other soils, and reports determinations of carbon and 

 nitrogen in several samples of clays and marls. The amounts of these are shown to 

 l)e considerable. "It seems very desirable that the organic matter present in the 

 deposits which form the basis of many soils should receive far more attention than 

 lias hitherto been given to them." 



The practical use of soil analysis: An analytical study of an Espinouse 

 schist, H. Lagatu and L. Sicakd {A)ui. Ecole Nut. A<jr. Monlpdlier, n. ser., 2 (1903), 

 Xo. 4, pp. 267—290). — Physical and chemical analyses of several samples of soil from 

 an estate in the commune of Labastide, arrondissement of Castres, are reported with 

 some discussion of the jiractical value of the analytical results. 



Remarks on Lioev^'s hypothesis concerning the role of lime in soils, A. 

 DoJAKEXKO {ZItur. Opuitn. A(jron. \_Jour. E.vpt. L(indw.'\, 4 {1903), Xo. ~\pp. ls'3-187). — 

 Experimental data are reported to show that the l)eneficial action of lime is not 

 entirely due to the neutralizing of the injurious effects of an excess of magnesia. 

 Marked benefit was ol)tained in j^ot experiments with oats from applications of lime 

 on soils which already contained more than enough of the substance to neutralize 

 the action of the magnesia present according to the Loew hypothesis. 



Bacteria of the soil, N. S. Mayo and A. T. Kinsley {Kansas Sta. Bid. 117, pp. 

 H;7-1S4). — The bulletin includes a discussion of the general characteristics and func- 

 tions of bacteria and of the conditions necessary to their growth, and reports the 

 results of counts of bac-teria in different kinds of soils, tabulated with reference to kind 

 of soil, crop grown, depth, time of year, and locality. Sixteen species were isolated 

 and are <lescril)ed. 



Contributions to the morphology and the physiology of denitrification, 

 J. G. LiPMAN {Xtw Jersey Slas. Rpt. 1902, pp. 183-241, pi. i).— The literature of this 

 subject is reviewed and experiments with pure cultures of various denitrifying 

 organisms are reported. The results of comparative tests of 8 pure cultures of soil 

 organisms and one mixture show a wide'^'ariation in the capacity of these organisms 

 for rendering the nitrogen of nutrient bouillon soluble, the mixture being more 

 effective in this respect than the pure cultures (from 1.3 per cent with Bacillus 

 Xew Jersey to 35.2 per cent with the mixtures in 15 days). Two new organisms, B. 

 Xew Jersey and B. Xew Jersey var., were isolated from horse manure, and two, B. 20 

 and 7?. 21, from cow manure. These were studied in different media, and their 

 characteristics are described in detail. B. 20 is stated to be similar to the B. nitrifi- 

 cans of Burri and Stutzer. The others are believed to be entirely distinct from any 

 previously described organisms. A special study was made of the behavior of these 

 organisms and B. pyocyaneus toward organic acids and salts, as well as various other 

 sources of carbonaceous nutrients (carbohydrates). The results show a wide varia- 

 tion in the nutrient value of the organic substances tested, and also "prove that the 

 development of the denitrifying bacteria is not necessarily proportionate to their 

 denitrifying power. On the one hand, there may be considerable growth and 



