CHANGES IN INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS 363 



effect of salts on the physiological efficiency of soil bacteria in pure and 

 mixed cultures, as well as in the soil. C. B. Lipman has advanced in- 

 formation concerning the antagonism between anions as related to 

 nitrogen transformations in soils, with special reference to the reclama- 

 tion of alkali lands. Antagonism exists to a more or less marked 

 extent between anions of alkali salts (as for example between NaCl 

 and Na2S04, NazCOj and Na2S04 and between NaCl and Na2C03) 

 when the ammonifying or nitrifying powers of the soil are employed 

 as criteria. The nitrogen-fixing flora, however, is not similarly 

 affected, apparently offering greater resistance. The practical sug- 

 gestion carried out of such data then, involves the addition of salts 

 to the toxic salts already contained in a given soil, and thereby im- 

 proving its ammonifying and nitrifying power. 



