Periodical Literature. on 



SOIL, WATER AND CLIMATE. 



An article by Schmerhowsky brings together 

 Soil what is known of soil physics with reference 



Water. to water movement, and especially discus- 



ses the ability of the soil in periods of 

 drought to condense water from the atmosphere for the use of 

 plants. From these theoretical discussions he concludes that the 

 soil can do so, when capillary water cannot be conducted to the 

 surface ; that, however, such condensation cannot penetrate deeper 

 than the daily variations of temperature; that they reduce the 

 consumption of soil water and supply young plants and shallow- 

 rooted ones with the necessary water during periods of drought. 

 This condensation can be increased by inducing granular structure 

 of soil or improving temperature movement by soil work. On 

 soil covered with vegetation the amplitude of daily temperatures 

 is smaller and hence the intensity of condensation. In dry situ- 

 ations cultures can derive the most use of such condensation, 

 hence here granular soil structure is most desirable. 



Ueber das Bodenwasser. Centralblatt fiir das gesammte Forstwesen. 

 November, 1912. Pp. 485-496. 



SILVICULTURE, PROTECTION AND EXTENSION. 



These investigations were performed by a 



Effects Flander assisted by Oberforster Dr. Mathes 



of of Eisenach in the red Marl districts of the 



Lupine Steiger Mts. on soil badly infested with 



on couchgrass. In consequence of this and of 



Spruce. a droughty season the seeding of spruce in 



the spring of 1900 was a failure. Two 



years later a small plot was cultivated 12 inches deep and drilled 



with perennial lupines without nitrogen inoculation. The spruce 



which was sown germinated but suffered by the grazing of the 



deer besides the couchgrass. The lupines, growing slowly in the 



first two years, reached full bloom in the third year and extended 



their roots from their drills into the couchgrass. 



The final advantages of the interculture of lupines may be 

 noted as (a) The spruce branches were darker green and more 



