NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



353 



Soils in the Field, Partial Sterilization of. By E. J. Russell 

 {Jour. Bd. Agr. vol. xxi. No. 2, pp. 114-115). — A short note is given on 

 this subject in an article dealing mainly with the partial sterilization of 

 soils for glasshouse work. Some experiments have been start'ed to 

 ascertain whether some new factor comes into play when partial steri- 

 lization is extended from the glasshouse to the field. A number of 

 antiseptics have been used, the method being to inject the substance 

 six inches into the soil by means of a hand injector, such as is used in 

 Continental vineyards, the holes being ten inches apart each way. 

 The great difficulty has been to make the distribution at all efficient 

 and to make the injections at the right time. These mechanical diffi- 

 culties have not yet been overcome, and in the outdoor experiments 

 antiseptics have failed to produce consistent and regular increases in 

 crops, although pot experiments with the same soils showed that in- 

 creases of 20 to 50 per cent, could be obtained when the distribution of 

 the antiseptic was more efficiently carried out. The results for the 

 three years 1910, 1911, and 1912 are given. — A. S. 



Soils, Selective Adsorption by. By E. G. Parker {Jour. Agr. 

 Research, i. pp. 179-188, Dec. 1913). — The experiments recorded by 

 the author show that soils not only have the power of adsorbing dis- 

 solved salts from solutions but also of adsorbing one ion at a greater 

 rate than the other, or selectively adsorbing, to a marked extent. 

 The presence of various salts may alter the relative amounts of ions 

 adsorbed, but in general the quantity of potassium adsorbed from 

 potassium chloride is greater than that of chlorine, and the finer the 

 soil particles the greater the quantity of potassium adsorbed. — F. J. C. 



Soils, The Presence of some Benzene Derivatives in Soils* 



By E. C. Shorey {Jour. Agr. Research, i. pp. 357-364, Feb. 1914). — 

 Three organic compounds — benzoic acid, metaoxytoluic acid, and 

 vanillin — were isolated from soils, and their properties are discussed by 

 the author. — F. J. C. 



Soy Beans. By E. H. Jenkins {U.S.A. Exp. Stn., New Haven, 

 Bull. 179, October 1913, pp. 1-13 ; 4 plates). — The soy bean is 

 useful as a catch crop when winter grain, clover or grass seed fails. 

 It stands drought better than corn, but is killed by a moderate frost. 

 It is a nutritious forage for cattle or swine, as it is rich in protein. 



S. E. W. 



Spray Calendar. By W. J. Green, A. D. Selby, and H. A. 

 Gossard {Ohio Exp. Stn., Bull. 232, Dec. 1911 ; 3 figs.). — This is a 

 revised edition of an earlier bulletin (No. 199) and includes prepara- 

 tions of washes and sprays as fungicides and insecticides, and the 

 treatment of seeds and soils against certain diseases, the former 

 generally with formaldehyde and the latter by sterilization. 



The recommendation to use hme-sulphur 32° Baume as strong 

 as one part with eight of water during autumn and winter on apples 



