Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
The biochemical decomposition of plant residues and other organic matter in the soil is of fundamental importance for soil fertility. It causes the breaking down of coarse plant fragments which otherwise might open up the soil too much: it leads to the production of colloidal complexes known as humus which exert many beneficial effects both chemical and physical, and it brings about the formation of nitrates, the most important of the nitrogenous plant nutrients.
Page 386 note 1 U.S. Dept. of Agric. Bureau of Plant Industry, Bull. No. 211, 1911.
Page 386 note 2 Journ. Research Bull. 2, 1911Google Scholar; Centr. Bald. Par. 1912, Abt. n, 35, 234–272; and Journ. Agric. Research, 1916, 5, 855–869.Google Scholar
Page 388 note 1 See Bussell, E. J. and Hutchinson, H. B, this Journal, 1912, 5, 157el seq.Google Scholar
Page 388 note 2 This Journal, 1915, 7, 24Google Scholar, and this vol. p. 331. E. H. Richards in these laboratories has since shown that rain is nearly a saturated solution of oxygen.
Page 395 note 1 See Russell, E. J and Hntohinson, H. B., this Journal, 1913, 5, 215et seq.Google Scholar
Page 397 note 1 See Russell, E. J and Hutchinson, H. B, this Journal, 1913, 5, 157et seq.Google Scholar
Page 397 note 2 Conn, H. J., Centr. Bald. Par. 1910, Abt. II. 28, 422–434.Google Scholar
Page 397 note 3 Löhnis, and Smith, , Journ. Agric. Research, 1916, 6, 675–702.Google Scholar
Page 400 note 1 Sylva Sylvarum, p. 123.
Page 400 note 2 See this Journal, 1914, 6, p. 34.Google Scholar An arithmetical error has crept into the September figures on p. 36, which vitiates the numerical results given there and also the top paragraph on p. 37 but does not affect this general conclusion.
Page 403 note 1 See note 2, p. 400.