538 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



planting the seed. The injurious effect was greater in sand than in soil and with 

 mustard ^vi^\ than with clover seed. 



In ease of the soil, the addition of 0.05 percent of lime nitrogen did not injuriously 

 affect either the clover or the mustard seed when they were planted 8 days after the 

 application of the material, while in sand the germination of clover seed was slightly 

 interfered with even when planted 14 days after the application of the lime nitrogen, 

 and when planted at an earlier period germination was entirely prevented. With 

 mustard seed germination was reduced fully one-half even when planting was done 

 28 days after the application of the lime nitrogen. The same conditions were observed 

 with the larger applications of lime nitrogen, only the injurious effects were more 

 marked. 



Pot experiments with mustard on a sandy loam soil to test the relative fertilizing 

 value of lime nitrogen and nitrate of soda, and with carrots to determine the effect 

 of adding lime to the nitrogenous fertilizers, are reported, as well as field experi- 

 ments with rye and potatoes on light loamy soils and with barley, potatoes, and 

 mangolds on heavier soils. 



The general conclusions from the results of these experiments are that while lime 

 nitrogen applied shortly before seeding injuriously affects germination, when the 

 injurious constituents of the material have had time to be transformed in the soil, 

 the nitrogen serves as a plant food and possesses a value very nearly the same as 

 that of the nitrogen of nitrate of soda. The time required for the decomposition 

 of the injurious constituents of the lime nitrogen, however, varies with different 

 kinds of soil, and until definite information on this point has been obtained the 

 author advises that lime nitrogen should be used with caution and on a small scale 

 in practice. 



On the effect of ammonium salts on the assimilation of phosphoric acid 

 by hig-her plants, I). X. Pkiaxishxikov (Ber. Deut. Bot. Gesell,, .M (1905), Xo. 1, 

 pp. 8-17). — The author briefly reviews experiments extending over several years, 

 which show that ammonium salts, especially ammonium sulphate, exert an important 

 influence in rendering the phosphoric acid of mineral phosphates available to higher 

 plants, while sodium nitrate exerts no such influence. For this reason ammonium 

 sulphate is designated "physiologically acid" and sodium nitrate "physiologically 

 alkaline." 



A series of sand and water cultures with barley, oats, buckwheat, flax, peas, and 

 vetches to determine the status of ammonium nitrate with reference to acidity or 

 alkalinity as thus defined is reported. The results show that this salt is intermediate 

 in its action between ammonium sulphate and sodium nitrate and indicate that it 

 may under certain conditions be physiologically acid. It was shown to increase the 

 assimilability of the phosphoric acid of insoluble phosphates even in sterile cultures 

 where nitrification did not occur. 



Nitrate of soda as a fertilizer, M. Weitz (Ber Chilisalpeter als Dungemittd. 

 Berlin: Baal Parey, 1905, pp. 492, pis. 8, figs. 228).— This is a very complete treatise 

 by the secretary of the Association of United Nitrate Producers on the occurrence and 

 exploitation of nitrate deposits, the nitrogen requirements of soils and plants, the 

 action of nitrate of soda on different kinds of plants as determined by experiments 

 of various kinds, nitrate of soda as a means of protection against frost, plant disease 

 and enemies of various kinds, comparative value of nitrate and other forms of nitrog- 

 enous fertilizers, recent work on the fixation of the free nitrogen of the air, increas 

 ing yields by rational use of commercial fertilizers, the trade in nitrate of soda, am 

 nitrate statistics. 



Experiments with Liitzeler meat guano, E. Haselhoff (Landw. Jahrb., ■'> , 

 (1905), No. 3-4, pp. 642-646) .—This material is a low-grade tankage treated with sul- 

 phuric acid and contains on the average 2 to 3 per cent of nitrogen and 1 to 2 per cent 

 of phosphoric acid. 



