WATER SOILS. 221 



Sunshine records at Aas Agricultural College, J. Sebelien {Norsk Landinnnds- 

 blad, 19 {1900), No. 10, pp. 109, 110). — The author has made daily records of the 

 amount of sunshine at the State Agricultural College of Norway (latitude about 59.5 

 deg. N. ) during the past three years by the photographic method. The total amount 

 of sunshine for the year 1897 was 1 , 700 hours, or 38.9 per cent of the number of hours 

 during which the sun was above the horizon; in 1898 the amount was 1,632 hours 

 29 minutes (36.5 per cent of theoretical maximum), and in 1899, 2,197 hours 18 min- 

 utes (49.2 per cent of theoretical maximum). In midsummer the sun sets at about 

 10 p. m. at Aas, but owing to the small amounts of photographically active rays in 

 the sunshine when the sun is near the horizon it was only possible to register sun- 

 light a few times after 9 p. m. during 1898, and in 1899 no records were made after 

 this time, the records as a general rule closing at about 8.15 p. m. — f. w. woll. 



WATER— SOILS. 



Nature, value, and utilization of alkali lands, E. W. Hilgard 



{Callfnj'iila Sta. Bui. 128., pp. J^lj^jig!<. 16). — This is a general sum- 

 mary of the results of investigations at the California Station on this 

 subject during the past 20 years, the details of which have been pub- 

 lished in reports and bulletins of the station. The topics treated 

 include occurrence and characteristics of alkali soils, how plants are 

 injured by alkali, effects of irrigation, distribution of alkali salts in 

 the soil, composition of alkali salts, utilization and reclamation of 

 alkali lands, removing the salts from the soil, crops suitable for alkali 

 lands, amount of salts compatible with ordinary crops, limits of saline 

 content of waters used for irrigation, and reclaimable and irreclaimable 

 alkali lands as distinguished by their natural vegetation. 



The geology of Louisiana, G. D. Harris and A. C. Veatch {Louisi- 

 ana Stas. Spec. Rpt. (ieol. and Agr.^pt. B,pp>. 35Jf^ph. SS, figs. 3, maps 

 i^).^This report summarizes previous work on the geological and 

 agricultural survey of Louisiana (E. S. R., 10, p. 330) and gives an 

 account of additional investigations on the same subject. The report 

 is divided into three parts. The lirst is a historical review of investi- 

 gations from the earliest times up to and including those of the 

 Louisiana P^xperiment Stations. The second part deals with the gen- 

 eral geology of the State, including stratigraphic geology and economic 

 geology. Under the latter head are reported the results of observa- 

 tions on the occurrence, extent, and quality of the deposits of salt, 

 sulphur, clay, sandstone, limestone, and gravel, which are classed as 

 important products, and of the following unimportant products: Iron 

 ores, lignite, lead and zinc ores, marl, gypsum, petroleum, and gas. 

 The third part contains reports of investigations in special lines, 

 including (1) the Natchitoches area, (2) the Shreveport area, (3) the 

 Five Islands, (-t) a report on Louisiana clay samples (by H. Ries), (5) a 

 report on a collection of fossil plants from northwestern Louisiana (by 

 A. Hollick), ((!) the cretaceous and lower eocene faunas of Louisiana, 

 (7) establishment of meridian lines, (8) a few notes on roadmaking, and 

 (9) some wood-destroying fungi (by G. F. Atkinson, see p. 21S>). The 



