1. Sudan soils are very low in organic matter, the total organic carbon being usually less than 1 per cent. In the Gezira, the humus carbon is about 40 per cent, of that of the total.

2. Humus preparations purified as far as possible could not be obtained ash-free. Specimens of humus from widely different sources contain nearly the same proportion of carbon.

3. Humus solutions (in very dilute alkali) keep fairly well in the dark. They also keep in bright sunlight if air is excluded. The use of standard solutions for colorimetric purposes is justified if not kept too long.

4. Field studies show that the humus content of good soil is greater than that of poor, and that there is a marked inverse connection between salt and humus content.

5. The above conclusion does not apply to the depth distribution of these constituents. In the Gezira, the maximum humus content is found at the fourth foot and the maximum salt content is found at about the same depth.

6. The total nitrogen content of the soils studied is low, usually about 0·03 per cent. About one-fifth of this is humus nitrogen, and the carbon-nitrogen ratio is about twelve to one.

1. The moisture equivalent of pure clay preparations varies with (a) the chemical composition, (b) the method of separation if centrifuged, (c) the replaceable bases.

2. The imbibitional water content also shows a close connection with the above variables.

3. Good additive relationships can only be obtained from series of soils of the same nature and in some cases, if taken at the same depth. This is, at any rate in part, due to differences existing in composition and properties between clay separated from soils and subsoils.

4. Pure silt fractions from different soils showed marked differences in their chemical composition and moisture equivalent.

An attempt has been made to ascertain the best interval between calvings, so that the cow's average weekly yield over a long period may be at a maximum. It was only possible to consider the case of the “average cow,” but it is claimed that the general principle has been established, that cows should calve at intervals of not less than a year, and not more than thirteen months; this optimum will probably be subject to a slight variation in particular cases. This is approximately the state of affairs in practice—though Norfolk farmers appear to err on the side of serving too early in the lactation, rather than too late.

In a previous paper (Davies, 1926) the author studied the differences in the compositions of protoplasmic proteins of plants within a Natural Order (Leguminosae). The Natural Order Cruciferae afforded a means of developing the study in the direction not only of ascertaining differences, if any, of protoplasmic protein of plants within a genus, but also of differences possible within a species. Thus proteins were studied from the following varieties of the cabbage species (Brassica oleracea L.): Cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata), Marrow stem kale (B. oleracea var.) from the stems and leaves separately, Kohl rabi (B. oleracea var. caulorapa). Also, the proteins from the leaves and roots respectively of white turnips (B. napo-brassica) were isolated and studied. In order to compare the protoplasmic proteins with those of seed of a plant of the same species, a globulin from rapeseed (seed of Brassica Napus L.) was prepared and analysed.

The plants worked on in this Natural Order were the Carrot (Daucus carota L.) and the Parsnip (Peucedanum sativum Benth.). Both these plants store up reserve food in their thickened root and hypoeotyl, the disposition of the tissues being similar in both “roots.” For the extractions of their proteins, members of “races ” of these plants containing the minimum amount of core and fleshiest annuli of bast were taken, healthy, uniformly well-grown specimens being selected.

A lighting (paraffin) oil bought casually, such as is often used in paraffin emulsions for spraying, has been subjected to fractional distillation, and shown to be unsuitable as a spraying oil.

Approximate solubilities at room temperature of various “oils” in solvents such as soap solutions with and without the addition of phenols, hydrogenated phenols and pyridine, have been determined. Spray fluids containing paraffin oil, benzene, and aniline in solution are economically possible, but coal tar fractions such as anthracene and creosote oils, will, owing to lack of solubility, have to be applied to plants as emulsions. Cresylic acid is the best aid to solution of paraffin oil, but is probably more injurious to foliage than the dearer, hydrogenated phenol, hexalin.

Experiments have been made on the influence of temperature when using soap (sodium oleate) and gelatine as emulsifiers; rise in temperature is found to facilitate the formation of emulsions in soap solutions, but to have a much more complex effect when gelatine is the emulsifier. A possible explanation of these facts is given.

During recent years a growing interest has been manifested by feeders of stock in the form of cooked maize known as flaked maize, which is produced on the industrial scale by the steaming and rolling of maize grain. Following the publication of the results of an investigation into the comparative values of dry, soaked, cooked and flaked maize for pig-feeding, in which investigation the high digestibility and feeding, value of flaked maize were amply demonstrated, frequent enquiries have been received as to whether it is justifiable to assume an equal feeding value for the several brands of flaked maize which are put on the market at the present time.

1. Percentages of fat, solids not fat and protein were determined in over 700 samples of mixed milk from 15 herds during 1925–26. In the case of fat content, nine herds produced one or more samples below 3 per cent., one herd recording 25 per cent, of samples below this limit. With regard to solids not fat, twelve herds produced milk containing less than 8·5 per cent, on one or more occasions, the highest percentage of deficient samples recorded being 40.

2. Frequency distributions of fat, solids not fat and protein percentages in the samples analysed, are given, together with standard deviations, and mean percentages with probable errors for these three constituents.

3. Correlation tables of fat with solids not fat, and protein with solids not fat have been prepared, and graphs illustrating the variations are given.

1. 670 samples of the mixed milk from 15 herds were analysed, and the average percentages of total ash, soluble ash, insoluble ash, lime and phosphoric acid are given.

2. Tables showing frequency distributions are also given, with the standard deviation, mean and probable error of mean for each constituent determined.

3. Various correlations of these constituents with solids not fat and protein have been prepared, and these correlations are illustrated by graphs.

It is observed that the total ash falls with the solids not fat until low values of solids not fat are reached, when the ash content appears to rise. This variation is confirmed by a curve illustrating the variation in ash content of samples of individual cow’s milk. Soluble ash rises as the solids not fat falls, but the insoluble ash shows a reverse variation. Lime and phosphoric acid both fall with the solids not fat.

1. Under the extremely humid conditions obtaining in N. Wales, with soils showing a high degree of base-unsaturation, phosphoric acid applied to permanent grassland as basic slag is fugitive in its effect.

2. From profile analyses it is shown that after six to ten years added phosphoric acid is removed from the surface layers, which revert to their original phosphorus status.

3. It is suggested that the phosphorus of soils may be differentiated into that of the naturally occurring stable phosphates and the phosphorus of added dressings which is, under N. Welsh conditions, unstable and removable by percolating waters.

G. W. Robinson and J. O. Jones (1) have shown that humified can be distinguished from non-humified organic matter by the use of 6 per cent, hydrogen peroxide. Humified organic matter is apparently oxidizedor rendered soluble by this reagent, whilst structural organic matter is unattacked. It seems reasonable to suppose that a similar distinction might be made in the case of farmyard manure between the amorphous decomposed material and the unaltered fibre of the faeces and litter. In other words, the degree of decomposition of farmyard manure might be determined by a method similar to that suggested for the degree of humification of soil organic matter. It is recognised that farmyard manure differs somewhat from soil organic matter in that the former includes the naturally soluble constituents of the litter, faeces and urine, which are either oxidized completely or rendered soluble in the peroxide treatment. However, they may be regarded as analogous in that both have undergone putrefactive decomposition. In the present paper, humification is used as a convenient term for the processes whereby organic matter is changed to structureless colloidal material and not as implying their exact correspondence with humification in the soil.

(1) An aerobic coccus has been obtained from cultures of the motile butyric acid bacillus under conditions which exclude the possibility of contamination.

(2) Descriptions of the coccus and the bacillus are given.

(3) The coccus does not fix nitrogen in soil extract containing dextrose.

The principal factors influencing the yield and quality of milk are (1) stage of the lactation period, (2) breed of the cow, (3) interval between milkings, (4) age of the cow, (5) individuality of the cow, (6) efficiency of the milker, (7) temperature and weather conditions, (8) health of the cow, (9) feeding.