New-York tribune., 1874-08-14
THE NITROGEN OF THE SOIL.
RY PROF. II. p. ARMsBY OF MILLBURY, MASS

By PROF. H. r. ARMsBY OF MILLBURY, MASS.
As the necessity of nitrogen to plant life
is universally admitted 1t has become an important
problem in agricultural chemistry to ascertain the
sonrce whence plants derive their supply OF that ele-
ment. IAwes, Gilbert. and Pugh (Ihh Trans, lS6D
showed that the cereals at least, are Incapable OF as
matine free nitrogen from tho air and this is prob
ably true of all plants. 1t seems unlikely that the com
pounds of nitrogen-ntric and nitrous acids aud am
monia-exisng in the atmosphere arc a5sniiatod, to
any apprecabe extent, from the air. under natural
conditions. IL has been abIndanty proved on the
other hand, that fertile soil IL capable OF supplying
vegetation with all needui nitrogen and we may con-
clude that it does The crcums tnces Of the supply
Of nitrogen TO the soil become therefore Ot the greatest
importance to the aCrterlturlst.
II is known that mtfOgenOus Organic substances such
as are I'm freshly manured soils may yield nitrogen in
the free state by decomposition tnOuIl o p'iuo9",,
OF this process are yet impcrfectly asceftalhed IL
has been shown that under some circumstances organic
bodies such as exist III tue son are cpape OI Shusiue
free nitrogen into combination with thcm a.
TO increase their content of that element. This increase
has been generally attributed 10 Y iolaIQn % H''Ao
acid from free nitrogen by some oXidizng action.
Muder raised bean plants IN son Tree from nitrogen
and with no nitrogen suppIeu cNc'Pt ION t,lc an,
The crop contained or three times as much nitrogen
the seed The gain must nave taken pace thfQlsh
the medium Of tho soil IL mas OceH SHOWN -! WI
linn chem PdrH, 49, 1860 that this Is not due TO the
formation Of ammonia oy the colhun'ti0h 9l ha9esn ecu
hydrogen and free nitrogen BOus.lnEaulJ lOund that
fertile garden SOL, spieau tnhy III sssSS s.sS
dish aud mostened daily for three months
with water free IRON hlroStuou' 'O.hIounu',
gained small quantity Of nitrogen ana lost
CARBON When upiuS, hemp, and beans were Idsat III a
nitrogen both the part OF the soil and the plants,
was demonstrated. In tIe case OF an experiment on
lupns which given IN fdil detail, the gam appears
partly nitric acid and parity as ammonia the former
being the greater; Dut he lol IhCiee o. ni'lVLI ~ @ ~
greater thau that COMPRISED III ihc ai pl tHc
two compounds But Ia similar experiments where the
soil was lguJly destitute "t nitrogen, There was noh
accumulated. ClOel has, however SHOWN 'ndt L'I u
nitrogen may take place in the absence Ol orsdnc mat
ter la series of experiments BOu>slhsdut kept
"A lien vegetable soil mixed WIN sauu m Ia E's7 NcN
sells sealed tightly for II years IN cellar Ihe amount
Of acld increased over -VJ loh' bul tHc to'al
amount of nitrogen utcit'a'u' ,tuIs Z M - :,
having taken place at the expense OF the organic m'e
scbGubcin's theory that water during aerial evapora-
ton united with nitrogen. forming mflic or ammonia
wa. disprOvcd by brn. WHO showed thlt TINS com
sonc similar organic body. series OF experiments by
Corz on porous substances mixed With carbOnatcd
alkles ana long exposed in cJhllu'l slIttiN o puit
eu air confirmed THESE results; tie exceptional cases
being rIceau4e 10 Impure hdtelii's. 4hc luilehc ol
hlmuS III uclttmIHh- tHo iN..i'i- ' NJ .i
shown by abundance Ot nitric acid in washed sp as
compared with the mere trace iOuhd III that "Hch is
a third and probable theory explains the ixation OF
Nitrogen by the soil by the suPpositnu tlat WheIe II Is
contained III the lhcIHtics IL j. C'h'el't NV ~
acld Dy developed by the slow oxidation OF A4
mus, possibly by electrical ds!urbances rms pro
would aCtOIt Nlth Huihltt'u Puh lca O VH'hc'
Gorup- Besaucz showed tmt ozone VS. formed ddilug
the evaporation wafer contact with organic matter
The dtu-ttlO OF nitrogen "u4 81 -h al tnc
huuUs, kccudrd; and BulutIIll would tHOr
thus reaction. Experiments OF LtWcs, HuDcrt ana
PuGh (IniL IrdHS, leCD 40 hot Imp"-L lh'7 lHeoil
though showing mat organic matter must pass into the
nal
win ID can produce nIlhcatIOu. Dchcrdln has recently
SHOWN that the amount Of nitrogen liked by organic
bodies J., more than sdiccnt have formed nitric or
nitrous dci with all tht oxygen present MANY details
OF these pcTm"uts WIch were numerous AID varied,
were adduccd TIE escape ut ire" urJgcu from dccJm-
posing animal substance ha- been irlY determined by
experiments OF Reset, LJWes Gilbert aud Pugn. TIere
are substantial reasons Tor tnt belief that TINS results
from the oxidation Ut dMttke bodies i Wllcn tine ht
drorn uring OXidIcd, the nitrogen D. set fr-r. Salor
ug showed th1 tins reaction could % brought ABOUT Nv
tHe oXidizins effect OF nitrate Oi potash. Kong auG
klesow demonstrated ddt tIe escape OF nitrogen could
be- prevented by the addition o. gypsum.
The author O1 tni, paper made srrlr, or experiments
10 throw light upon loss and gam OF nitrogen the
method adopted being 10 allow organic matter contain
Iug a known amount of Nitrogen, to decay under cir
cuusiace- n w4i,h an the nitrogen gwen Oh or ac-
uur itcd could bt measured Tie organic matter con-
sisted OF dried aud slfted brnyari manure iA with
onc-Guartcr its weight of drIrd and puyerzei hcsu.
Ttr txu.rmeuts marked were conducted IN purIn ii
air those marked IL, ~ purified nitrogen the mix
fur,s we're moi, hut not coherent Various "details TO
oban purity ana accuracy received due att -niion Ihe
exposure 10 air the first set ot experiment. was Kept
m for more than two months tnc exposure 10 nitrogen
Was for a shorter period. The temperature varied lFon
5t5 tosO averaging 10 Fdhr. Tic apparatus Wa CX-
pnsrd 10 M Mised daylight. b1t not 20 direct sunshine.