SOILS FERTILIZERS. 9-45 



those secured through plat experiments." The character of the soil, which is that 

 of the 5-year rotation plats at Wooster, is described E. S. R., L6, p. 752) and its pre- 

 vious history and treatment is explained. 



A series of experiments with wheat in wire baskets t" determine the effecl <>i' 

 manures, fertilizers, ami lime, and to study the effect of increasing (adding sulphuric 



and tartaric arid.- i or neutralizing (with .-odium carl ate and hydroxid as well as 



with lime) the natural acidity of the soil is reported. 



Cultures with the soil extract are reported in which tin- attempt was made " to 

 determine whether or not the causes of a lowered productiveness are transmitted to 

 the aqueous extract, and if so. whetherthese can be corrected i>\ the various treat- 

 ments found to he effective in the -oh itself." 



The results obtained by the above methods are compared with those obtained in 

 plat experiments with like fertilizer treatment in a 5-year rotation on the Bame -oil. 

 The results ate thus summarized: 



" The experiments carried on .... during 11 years by the plot method and those 

 carried on during the last 6 months by the culture methods of soil in wire baskets and 

 of -oil extract in bottles, agree in showing that the best resultswhich have been 

 obtained are those following the application of nitrate of soda in combination with 

 acid phosphate, the application of lime or the application of manure. Being eub- 

 mitted to a live-crop rotation, this soil soon responds markedly to applications of 

 phosphoric acid, and the effect of the continued application of this fertilizer is undoubt- 

 edly cumulative, this point being brought out equally well by both field and culture 

 methods. 



'•Additional conclusions brought out by the basket and bottle cultures are as 

 follows: 



"(1) The character of the soil, as far as its ability to produce plants is concerned, 

 is transmitted to its extract, as is shown by the fact that the same resultsmaybe 

 obtained by growing plants in the extract as are obtained by growing them in the 

 soil itself. 



"(2) The soil is acid, probably with an organic acid, but its present low produc- 

 tivity is not due to the acidity. 



"(3) The beneficial effect of lime is probably due in great measure at least to 

 other causes than its power to neutralize the soil acidity. 



"(4) The evidence points strongly to the conclusion that this >< >il contains —me 

 toxic materials somewhat similar to, but still differing in some of their properties 

 from, those found in the Takoma lawn soil investigated by the Bureau of Soils of the 

 U. s. Department of Agriculture [E. S. II.. 17, p. 340]. It seem- probable thai the 

 effect of lime on Wooster soil is largely due t<> its action, in some way as yet undeter- 

 mined, upon these toxic bodies, and it may be that a large pari of the effect produced 

 by fertilizers ami stable manure is due to some similar action on the part of these 

 latter substances." 



In his comments upon the general results, Director Thome says: ■•The outcome 

 of this work has been that results obtained in two or three weeks' time are in general 

 agreement with tield tests which required an entire season for their execution." He 

 adds further, however, that "no single season's field work on a particular soil is a 

 sufficient basis on which to formulates definite prescription for the fertilization of 

 that soil, and it is highly probable that we shall find the same law holding good in 

 the conduct of the [wire-basket] method of investigation . . . All that can be 

 said of this method al present and this is much — is that it promises tobeavery 

 useful help in one of the most intricate line- of investigation science has yet under- 

 taken—that of the maintenance of soil fertility.'* 



Fertility studies on Strong-sville soil, A II. Snydeb ami ( '. L. Cook | Ohio Sta. 

 Bui. JUS, />/>. 119-138). The experiment-' reported in this bulletin were similar in 

 plan and purpose to those with Wooster soil noted above, the experiments being 



