soll.s — FEBTILIZEBS. 841 



loam, 7 per cent us sandy loam, 5 per cenl as lighl sandy loam, and the re- 

 mainder were peal soils. 



A preliminary examination of about hi samples of soil from the Temiskaming 

 district indicate thai these soils are unite similar in physical Btrncture and 

 appearance to t lie Abil ibi soils. 



Experiments on peat soil, \V. II. I > \ v | 1////. Rpt. (tularin Agr. Col. and Expt. 

 Farm, 81 (1905), pp. 35 87). Studies of the capillary rise of water in n peal 

 Boil which in its natural state baked and cracked in dry weather and absorbed 

 water badly arc reported. 



Th<' studies were made ill tithes with the loose and packed soil ; 1 1 m I with lni\ 

 tares of the soil with sand. loam. marl, and lime. •'Twenty-live per cent loam, 



10 per cent marl, and ."ii per cenl sand increased the capillary rate i.\ about 

 25 per cent, as compared with the rate in pure peat, so thai soil treated in any 

 of these ways is capable of supplying water to the plants much more rapidly 

 than in the untreated state. Ten per cent lime, on the oilier hand, decreased 

 the capillary rate by aboul 50 per cent as compared with pure peat." 



The tithes in which the water rose bighesl did no1 contain as much water 

 per cubic centimeter of soil as those in which the water rose more slowly. 'This 

 was especially true of the soil mixed with 10 per cent lime. 



Experiments made with oats grown on the soil in crocks showed thai the 

 strongesl and most uniform growth, least affected by "damping off.'" was 

 obtained in the mixture containing 25 per cent of loam. 



The results in general show that "the peat can he much improved by adding 

 cither loam or sand, hut seriously injure! by 1<> per cent of lime. . . . Twenty 

 live pei- cent loam and I'll per cent sand seem to he the best treatments tested." 



Experiments on aeration, W. II. Day (Aim. Rpt. Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. 

 Farm, 81 (1905), pp. 87-ffO, figs. 3).— Id these experiments wheat, barley, oats, 

 and peas were grown on loam soil in 4rgal. jars, fitted with tubes at the bottom, 

 which permitted air to he drawn through the soil. "Once each day during the 

 growing season air was drawn through half the crocks of each kind of grain, 

 enough to completely change the air ill the crocks. Observations were taken 

 en the germination, the growth of the plants, the yield, the rainfall, and the 

 water added." 



The results with the cereals were vitiated by depredations of sparrows, 

 hut "point to the importance in the case of legumes (peas) of having the soil 

 thoroughly loosened up so as to permit thorough aeration to begin with, and the 

 iH'c entrance of air afterwards." 



Experiments on evaporation and transpiration, \Y. II. Day < 1////. Rpt. 

 Ontario Agr. Col. <in<l Expt. Farm. .»'/ (1905), pp. h 0-42). — Studies of the 

 amount of water required during the season by wheat, barley, oats, and peas 

 growing in 4.-gal. crocks are reported. 



From the data given it appears "that the wheat up to AugUSl •".. when it was 

 BDOUl ripe, had used 2.15 times as much water as the rain that hail fallen. The 

 barley to July 20, 2.25 times as much water as had fallen, and the oats during 

 the same period 2.57 times the amount of rain. The peas up to August 15 had 

 used 2.19 times the rain during that period. Hence, in case of these four grains 

 much more water for the sustenance of the crop must come from the store held 

 in the earth from the winter and spring rains than from the summer rains." 

 The wheat required during the season 22.6 in. of water; the barley, L8.52 in.; 

 pats, 21.15 in., and peas. L'T.-'IS in. 



The constitution of arable soil. — The soil of Segala (Druelle) and the 

 rocks from which it was derived, A. Dbqage and II. Lagatu (Ann. ticoli \"t. 

 Agr. Montpellier, n. ser., 5 (1905), No. .?. pp. 93—110). — Detailed mineralogical 

 examinations according to the authors' method, which has already been noted 



