736 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Plants not henefitedhy liming. — Norway spruce, cranberr}^ cowpea, 

 and flax. 



Plants (jiving inconclusive results with liming. — Concord grapes, 

 blackberry, raspberry (Ohio Blackcap), spring- rye, serradella, and 

 carrots. 



Of the plants tested the following were more benefited by nitrate of 

 soda than b}^ sulphate of ammonia: Rhubarb (on limed plats), Austra- 

 lian saltbush, hemp, asparagus, currants, serradella, mangel-wurzels^ 

 onions. English turnips, sweet peas, balsams, and poppy. The plants 

 on which sulphate of ammonia proved superior to nitrate of soda were 

 blackberry, raspberry, cowpea, chicor}', and flax. 



"As a result of the observations thus far made here, it may be said 

 of -wheat, as of barley, oats, and rye, that no regularly recurring 

 advantage of nitrogen in nitrate of soda, as compared with nitrogen in 

 sulphate of ammonia, has been observed." In case of carrots results 

 were inconclusive. 



Investigations on losses from manure heaps by soaking into the soil 

 beneath, P. Rippert (Fiililhufs Landw. Zty., 49 {WOO), No. :';J,pi>. SJ9-SS5, firj. 1).- 

 Examinations of the soil under manure pits lined in various ways and unlined showed 

 the presence of large amounts of nitrogen compounds which had leached from the 

 manure. There were also present large numbers of various kinds of organisms which 

 transform nitrogen compounds and facilitate their escape in the drainage. The con 

 struction of pits which will not be subject to such losses is discussed. 



Examination of soil to different depths underneath manure heaps, A. 

 Emmerling and H. Wehxert {Landw. Wcluibl. ScJdesing-JIolstein, 49 {1899), No. 49, 

 pj>. 904-908). — Investigations similar to those noted above, except that no study was 

 made of the organisms present. 



The fertilizer and phosphate industry, L. P. Brown {Tradesman, 44 {1901), 

 No. 9, pp. 92-97). — It is estimated that there is at least §100,000,000 invested in the 

 United States in plants confining themselves strictly to the manufacture of artificial 

 fertilizers. 



"When to this are added the large sums invested in phosphate mines in Florida, 

 Tennessee, and South Carolina, in pyrite mines in Virginia and Vermont, and in 

 the plants for recovering animal ammoniates at packing houses in Chicago, Kansas 

 City, Omaha, etc., in the cotton-seed oil mills, and in independent sulphuric acid 

 plants, selling their products mainly to manufacturers of fertilizers, it would seem 

 that §300,000,000 would be a low estimate at which to put the total American invest- 

 ment in the fertilizer and kindred industries." 



The article discusses the sources of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, the 

 manufacture of sulphuric acid, the phosphate mining industry, and the present 

 status and outlook of the fertilizer industry. 



Phosphate rock, E. W. Parker {Tradesman, 44 {1901), No. 9, p. 81).— hi an 

 extended article on the development of the mineral resources of the Southern States 

 the author gives some statistics of the phosphate industry. These show that while 

 a little phosphate rock was mined in North Carolina in 1899, practically the entire 

 product came from Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina in the order named. 

 The total production of these States in 1899 was 726,420 long tons, valued at 

 $2,804,061; 430,192 tons, valued at $1,192,916; and 356,650 tons, valued at §1,078,099, 

 respectively. " South Carolina, which now ranks third, was the only State produc- 

 ing phosphate rock in 1880, at which time the output amounted to 190,763 long 



