OS. Mme 2 J. K. TAYLOR. 
months provided rain falls to prevent extreme drying out, 
the activity probably beginning in November and reaching 
a maximum in December to February. Active nitrification 
follows a satisfactory moisture content and high tempera- 
ture, and if these come together, nitrates can accumulate 
fairly rapidly, but we have not in the wheat belt of New 
South Wales the assured coincidence of maximum temper- 
ature and maximum rainfall. 
(5) The question of the nitrifying power of our soils 
should be far more widely studied. Attention is drawn to 
the striking cases of varying nitrifying power shown in 
Tables VII and VII A. 
(6) On the average the soil studied is far from being 
classed as a good soil from the nitrogen point of view at 
any rate, and even under optimum conditions it is incapable | 
of accumulating large quantities of nitrates. 
The writer regrets that he has been forced to abandon a 
scheme of investigation which with another twelve month’s 
work would perhaps have given a better account of the 
‘story of New South Wales wheat soils. 
Acknowledgment is due for direction and assistance to 
Professor R. D. Watt, Mr. G. Wright, Mr. A. H. EH. Mac- 
Donald (Chief Inspector, Department of Agriculture), Mr. 
R. G. Downing (Chief Experimentalist), Mr. H. Ross 
(Manager of Wagga Experiment Farm), and the Experi- 
mentalist of the same Farm. 
By the courtesy of Mr. G. Valder, Under Secretary for 
Agriculture, the field experiments were conducted at Wagga 
Experiment Farm. 

