RELATION OF FERTILISERS TO SOIL FERTILITY. 25 



Cu finely powdered, 10 grams and 1 gram respectively. Two pots respec- 

 tively 10 grams and 1 gram of CuO. No injury was observed, except in pot 

 with 10 grams CuO, where the plant failed to grow. 



Action of different amounts of Cu in soil on the growth of plants. ,T. SIMON. 

 (Landw. Versuchs Station, 1909, 71, 417-429.) Experiments with 0-001 and 

 0-01 of CuSO 4 per cent, of soil gave reduced yields. 



Influence of some metallic compounds on the growth of wheat. V. NASARI. 

 (Atti. R. Accadem. Lincei., 1001 (v), 19, ii, "301-307.) CuSO 4 affected the 

 growth unfavourably. 



Sulphur. 



Action of flowers of sulphur on vegetation. E. BOULLANGER. (Compt. Rend. r 

 1912, 154, 309-370.) The addition of small quantities of flowers of sulphur 

 to soil improves the yield of plants, such as carrot, haricot, potatoes. As- 

 this improvement is more marked with ordinary soils than with sterilised 

 material, it would seem that S. acts indirectly by modifying the develop- 

 ment or activity of bacterial flora. The quantity used was 7 decigrams to 

 30 kilograms of soil. 



The fertilising action of Sulphur. A. DELNOLON. (Compt. Rend., 154, 524-520.) 

 The beneficial effects of crude gas-works ammonium salts must be partly- 

 attributed to free S, as the amount of N and its state of combination in 

 crude ammonium salts residue from gas-works is insufficient to account 

 for it. 



Amount of sulphur in plants. SERGEI M. BOGDANOFF. (Journal Russ. Phys. 

 Chem. Soc., 31, 471-477.) Estimation of S. in vegetable ashes gives incorrect 

 results, except when small amounts of HNO S are added. Plants contain 

 much more S than is indicated in Wolf's tables, and the Author believes 

 the estimation of H 2 SO 4 in soils to be of practical importance. In some 

 Russian soils certain crops gave considerably higher yields after manuring- 

 with sulphates. 



Application of CS 2 in mulberry culture. J. N. SIRKER. (Imp. Coll. Agric. Tokyo,. 

 1909, 1, 185-187.) Application of CS 2 to the soil (450 c.c. to 10 square- 

 metres) increased the yield of mulberry leaves by 44 per cent. 



Sulphur in soils. W. H. PETERSON. (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1911, 33, 549-504.) 

 The Author's results show that considerable quantities of S are removed 

 from the soil by common crops. In cases in which farm manure had been 

 regularly and liberally applied, the S contents had been maintained,, 

 or even increased. Suitable sources of S are farm manure, superphos- 

 phates, K 2 SO 4 , CaSO,, &c. 



The fertilising action of Sulphur. L. DEGRULLY, Montpellier. (Progres Agric. 

 et Vitic., 57, 321-324.) Experiments during 1911 showed that the addition 

 of 109 grammes of Sulphur per square metre doubled the crop of beets, 

 and increased that of turnips 33 per cent. A great part of S appears later 

 in the soil as sulphates. Increased crops may be due to sulphates formed 

 or to the direct stimulating effect on S on plant. 



Action of Sulphur on vegetation. E. CHANCRIN and A. DESSIOT. (Journ. Agr. 

 prat., 21, 427-429.) In Germany the use of S for potato diseases was not 

 only effective in reducing the disease, but increased the yield of potatoes. 

 The Authors report experiments in which S was used at the rate of 

 250 to 500 kilos per hectare in conjunction with superphosphate, K 2 SO 4 andf 

 NaNCv 



Sulphur as a fertiliser. D. HERLINGER. (Wiener Landw. Ztg., 02, 132-133.) 

 Sulphured rows of potatoes gave higher yields, but because of unfavourable- 

 weather, other contributing causes are not excluded. 



Iodine. 



Absorption of Iodine by plants. PAUL BOURGET. (Compt. Rend., 1899, 129, 

 708-770.) Twenty-eight plants of nine different orders were grown in 

 carefully prepared soil, containing 083 milligrams of Iodine per kilo. 

 Cut when mature, and Iodine estimated. Iodine was found to vary from 

 nil (in potato, gherkin, black radish, parsley, carrot, chicory, endive) to- 

 0-32 (in green haricots), 0.38 (in Beta cijcla) up to 0-94 (in garlic) niilli- 

 /, grams per kilogram. 



