644 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



differences in the underlying rocks and the nature of the cHmate, and 

 the writers deal with the methods of drainage, cultivation, manuring, 

 and general treatment necessary for the most important classes of 

 marsh lands, together with the crops most suitable for each. — A. P. 



Soils, The Improvement of Sandy. By A. E. Whitson and 

 F. J. Bieyers {U.S.A. Exp. Stn., Wisconsin, Bull. 204; Feb. 1911; 

 5 figs.). — There are between four and five million acres of sandy lands 

 in Wisconsin, and they are now being rapidly cleared and developed. 

 Soil inoculation has been found desirable, for though, ordinarily, 

 medium red or alsike clover develops nodules in abundance, alfalfa and 

 many other legumes often fail to do so, or do so only to a very slight 

 extent, until they have been grown on the same piece of ground for 

 three or four years. Artificial cultures as advertised have not given 

 such good results as inoculated soil, and, where haulage is costly, it 

 is recommended to use a little inoculated soil on a small plot of 

 ground on which the corresponding crop can be grown for two or 

 three years until it has become thoroughly inoculated, when it can be 

 used for applying to land which is in need of it (p. 12). The bulletin 

 deals pretty fully with the needs of these very sandy soils, and the 

 best means of bringing them into a state of fertility. — A. P. 



Soils, The Managrement of Heavy Clay. By A. E. Whitson and 

 E. J. Welwiche (U.S.A. Exp. Stn., Wisconsin, Bull. 202; Feb. 1911; 

 5 figs.). — The methods of treatment recommended are chiefly based on 

 the results of studies during five years on wet clay soils, where in 

 the natural state no true grass grows, but sedges form the greater part 

 of the vegetation. As the organisms which are active in producing 

 fertility and the vegetable matter upon which they act are mainly 

 confined to an inch or two of the surface-soil, the first ploughing of 

 new soil should be rather shallow, being deepened afterwards an inch 

 or so each year. — A. P. 



Soot, Character and Composition. By J. B. Cohen and A. G. 

 Preston (Jour. Soc. Chem. Ind., vol, xxx., No. 23, pp. 1360-4; 7 tab.). 

 — This article gives particulars of various experiments and investiga- 

 tions showing the variations in composition, due to the different con- 

 ditions of production and kinds of coal and other fuel ; also the effects 

 of soot-laden atmosphere upon vegetation. 



The importance of variation in composition will be realized by the 

 figures of the author based on the unit value of nitrogen, giving a range 

 of from 24s. to £5 the ton for different samples. Soots from chimneys 

 with a strong draft are found to yield very heavy percentages of ash, 

 especially from the lower portions of such chimneys, while the per- j 

 centage of nitrogen in such cases is low. On the whole the products j 

 from short chimneys are far superior as fertilizers to those from tall I 

 chimneys. | 



Tables are given showing the variations in composition from both | 

 factory and domestic chimneys of varying heights and from different 



