PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 617 



a vertical mile of bare columnar rock I He states that this is the 

 highest measured point in the United States, if not in North 

 America. He found true glaciers on the flanks, with terminal and 

 lateral moraines. 



On Nitrogen from Manures. 

 Mr. J. B. Lawes, F. R. S., and Dr. J. H. Gilbert, F. R S., have 

 been engaged for many years in making experiments, in the course 

 of which they had grown wheat, year after year, on the same land, 

 for more than twenty years, on some portions without any manure, 

 and others with various kinds of manure. The results obtained 

 have been published. In a paper presented by them at the late 

 meeting of the British Association, they directed attention to the 

 accumulation and the loss of the nitrogen, which had been sup- 

 plied in the manure, and not recovered in the increase of the 

 crop. The general result of their investigation was that although 

 a considerable amount of the nitrogen of the supplied manure, 

 'which had not hcen recovered as increase of croj:) was shown to 

 remain in the soil, still a larger amount was as yet unaccounted 

 for. Initiative results indicated that some existed as nitric acid in 

 the soil, but it was believed that the amount so existing would 

 prove to be but small. In fact, it was calculated that a consider- 

 able larger proportion would remain entirely unaccounted for in 

 the soil than there was traceable, and the probability was that at 

 any rate much of this had passed off into the drains, or into the 

 lower strata of the soil, xiually, it was shown, by reference to 

 the field results, that there was not more than one or two bushels 

 of increase in the wheat crop, per acre, per annum, due to the 

 large accumulated residue of nitrogen in the soil, notwithstanding 

 its amount was many times greater than that which would yield 

 an increase of twenty bushels or more, applied afresh to the soil 

 otherwise in the same condition. On the other hand, it was shown 

 that the eftcct of an accumulated residue of certain mineral con- 

 stituents was not only very considerable in degree but very 

 lasting. 



Treatment of Seaaveed. 

 The British Seaweed Company are carrying into practical oper- 

 ation at their works in the outer Hebrides, Stanford's process for 

 treating seaweed by destructive distillation. Instead of the fused 

 ash called kelp, which is prepared in contact with the open air, 

 and from which all the iodine has been dissipated, Mr. Stanford 



