446 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



the concentration was maintained at a certain level; in the less active, undrained 

 soil the conditions of concentration were reversed. — p. fireman. 



Distribution of the population of Sweden as determined by the geological 

 character of the soil, C. Rabot {Geographies 11 ( 1905 ), No. 5, pp. 359-367, figs. 6). 



The sugar-cane soils of Jamaica, III, H. H. Cousins {Bui. Dept. Ayr. 

 [Jamaica'], 3 {1905), No. 7, pp. 137-146). — This is a third communication on this 

 subject (E. S. R., 1.5, p. 459) and reports mechanical and chemical analyses of 12 

 samples of soil with brief discussions of the fertilizer requirements of the different 

 samples. The most striking characteristic common to all the. soils was the deficiency 

 • if calcium carbonate. " In some cases it was not possible to detect any carbonates 

 at all." 



Geological notes on cacao soils, E. H. Cunningham-Craig ( Trinidad Bot. Dept, 

 lUil. Misc. Inform., 1905, No. 47, pp. 196-200). — The 8 principal rocks that have been 

 observed as forming cacao-bearing soils are noted, the soils themselves are described, 

 and suggestions are given regarding the kinds of fertilizers which should be used on 

 the soils of different origin in the culture of cacao. 



Investigations in regard to the phosphoric acid in cultivated land in Java, 

 T. Marr {Mealed. Proefstat. Oost-Java, 4- ser., No. 4. pp. 65-87, figs. ..').— Many Java 

 soils present the peculiarity of producing good crops and failing to respond to appli- 

 cations of phosphates, although containing less total phosphoric acid than is generally 

 considered necessary for a productive soil (0.1 per cent). The assimilable phos- 

 phoricacid was determined in some of these soils by Schloesing's method of digestion 

 in dilute (0.01 to 0.1 per cent) nitric acid (E. S. R., 11, p. 131), and Dyer's method 

 of digestion in citric acid (E. S. R., 5, p. 1013), using, however, 2 per cent acid. 

 The first method showed much less available phosphoric acid (0.0017 to 0.0234 per 

 cent ) than is considered by de Sigmond (E. S. R., 12, p. 907) necessary for a pro- 

 ductive soil, viz, 0.075 per cent. With Dyer's method, however, the available 

 phosphoric acid was, as a rule, higher ( with one exception 0.018 to 0.071 per cent) 

 and well over the limit set by Dyer for a productive soil, viz, 0.01 per cent. There 

 was little or no relation between the total phosphoric acid and that found by either 

 of the above methods. 



Investigations on the potash content of moor soils, P. Vageler ( Vrtljschr. 

 Bayer. Landw. Rat., 10 (1905), Xo. 2 | Erganzungsh.) , Sup. 7, pp. 125-133). The aver- 

 ages of 14.'! analyses of cultivated Bavarian moor soils are reported showing a varia- 

 tion in potash content of from 0.0544 per cent to 0.089 per cent. The average amount 

 of potash in virgin upland moor soil was 0.033 per cent. In spite of the fact that 

 most of these soils are well supplied with potash, they are much benefited by liberal 

 applications of potash fertilizers. The potash is apparently in very unavailable form. 



The soil of the Pontine marshes, A. Orth (■',. Internat. Kong. Angew. Chem., 

 1903, Be i'. 3, pp. 741-745). — Analyses of several samples of soil are reported and the 

 character of the soils of the Roman Campagna is discussed. 



On the difficulty of ascertaining the productiveness of tropical soils, A. 

 Couturier {Bui. Assoc ('him. Sucr. et Distill., 22 (1905), pp. 1302-1304; nhs. in ('hem. 

 Centbl., 1905, If, No. 11, pp. 849, 850).— The author points out that the climatic 

 agencies which have resulted in the formation of tropical and subtropical soils bring 

 about a very different series of physical and chemical changes from those which take 

 place in the soils of temperate zones. Tropical soils therefore can not be judged on 

 the same basis as soils of temperate zones. For this reason there is great need of 

 careful study of tropical soils. 



Soil analysis and the value of the results in the fertilizing of vineyards, 

 A. Hubert (Monit. Sci., 4- ser., 19 {1905), II, pp. 582-588; abs. in Chem. Centbl., 1905, 

 II, Xo. 9, p. 095). — Descriptions are given of the methods used, which were in the 

 main the official methods of the committee of French agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions. Directions for fertilizing based upon analyses of various vineyard soils are 



