644 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The soils of Montserrat, F. Watts and II. A. Tempany ( West Indian BnL, 6 

 (1905), No. 3, pp. 263-284, dgms. 10). — Mechanical and chemical analyses of -12 sam- 

 ples of typical soils of the island arc reported. 



It is stated that the soils of Montserrat, which are of volcanic origin, are "on the 

 whole, fertile and easily worked; they are characterized by containing very small 

 amounts of carbonate of lime, but, otherwise, they are not usually deficient in the 

 elements of plant food." The mechanical analyses show that there is considerable 

 variation in the texture of the soils, some being sandy and easily worked, others 

 stiff and difficult to till. The suitability of the soils to sugar cane, limes, cotton, 

 cacao, rubber, vegetables, etc., is discussed. 



An illustration of the use of the wire-basket method for soil testing-, F. D. 

 Gardner (Science, //. ser., 22 (1905), Xo. 569, pp. 6?.y-'; f sY?).—This article briefly 

 reports a test by the wire-basket method of soil of the Orangeburg clay type from 

 South Carolina in comparison with soil of the same type from Texas. 



The results of experiments with wheat, as well as chemical analysis of the soils, 

 indicate that the soil contained too much soluble salts for normal development of the 

 wheat plants. Tests of samples of soils from other portions of the same field indi- 

 cated that the conditions noted in the first sample were not generallv true for the 

 whole area. Neither were they true for the soil of the same type from Texas. 



The absorptive power of soils, C. Dusserre (Chron. Agr. Vaud, 18 (1905), Xo. 

 18, pp. 463-466). — A brief general discussion of this subject, referring especially to the 

 investigations of the author and T. Bieler already noted (E. S. R., 16, p. 347). 



Chemical-geological investigations on the absorptive properties of decom- 

 posed rocks, M. Dittrich (Ztschr. Anorgan. Chem., 47 (1905), Xo. 2, pp. 151-162). — 

 In continuation of previous investigations (E. S. R., 14, p. 746), the author reports 

 results of studies of the effect of weathering on the solubility of the various constitu- 

 ents of rocks in water, weak acids, and neutral salt solutions of various kinds. 



A study of fresh and weathered hornblende granite showed that while the percent- 

 ages of lime and soda had been decreased to a marked extent by weathering, the 

 percentage of potash was decidedly increased. Extraction of the weathered product 

 with water and weak acids showed that the potash was combined in highly insoluble 

 form, the solubility in weak acids being but slightly greater than that in water. 

 Digestion of fresh and weathered rock of various kinds with y 1 ^ normal sodium 

 chlorid solution resulted in solution of only a trace of potash but of considerable 

 amounts of calcium and magnesium, the latter being replaced by an equi valent amount 

 of sodium. 



Treatment with y 1 ^- normal potassium chlorid solution resulted in the solution of 

 considerable amounts of calcium and magnesium, corresponding as a rule with the 

 stage of weathering of the rock. In all cases the amounts of calcium, magnesium, 

 and sodium removed in solution were replaced by an equivalent amount of potash. 

 This potash was partly but not completely removed by a subsequent prolonged 

 extraction with water. 



Studies are also reported of the solubility in solutions of ammonium chlorid (con- 

 centrated), lime water, and calcium chlorid (2 per cent and tenth-normal) of the 

 potash which occurs in what is known as soil zeolites and which is generally consid- 

 ered soluble in the soil solutions and available to plants. The studies were made 

 with both unaltered rock and with rock which had been artificially enriched in 

 potash. 



The calcium chlorid solutions (either 2 per cent or tenth-normal) were found to be 

 more active solvents than acetic acid and dissolved further amounts of lime, potash, 

 and soda from material which had previously been completely exhausted with 

 ammonium chlorid solution. The potash removed corresponded to that in form of 

 zeolites. 



Investigations on the insoluble alkali compounds originating in the humus 

 substances of the soil and their role in plant physiology and agriculture, 



