Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-27
CONCERNING NITROGEN.
Where the Farmer N ust Look for the Chic
supply of Plant Food.

.
The unscientific farmer is Of the
opinion that legnminous crops, such az
( clover. beans. alfalfa. etc, add to the
fertility of the soil. instead Of draining
it. Such. however. is not really the
fact. This class of plants have deep
searching roots. and obtain from
deeper in the earth the rich supplies Of
nitrogen, which the shallow rooted
plants do not reach. The leguminous
plants above named incorporate more
nitrogen in their composition than
many other kinds. And when the CROP
il removed more nitrogen is removed
from the soil than with q crap of wheat
or corn. But the way clover, alfalfa,
etc, fertilize the soil is by drawing ii
from deeper in the earth. and IN the
decay of their roots, leave in the sur
face soil. and for the support of shall
Iow-rooted plants. large amount OF
nitrogen. This is one Of the principal
ways in which these leguminous plants
benefit the soil. Some agricultural
cheni lists contend that they collect or
absorb in their growth much Of this
nitrogen from the atmosphere.
But the best authorities almost as
tonish US with the statements which
they make as to the amount of nitro
gen IN good soils. Kroker showed long
ago that good. cultivated soil contains
no; less than one per cent Of nitrogen,
or 3, 500 pounds to the acre in the loan
one foot deep. And A. Miller. in his
chemical analysis Of soils found az high
as &c per cent Boussingault also, on
analyzing number Of loans Of good
quality. taken from different localities.
found from 5000 20 $4,000 pounds of
nitrogen 10 the acre taken 10 the depth
Of eighteen inches. This is soil nitro
gen. Storer says there are % pounds
Of nitrogen in ca1h ton Of timothy hay.
ia ton Of clover As pounds. and if
three tons Of red clover be taken from
an acre. which is not uncommon,
crop takes from the soil 1923 pounds
per acre.
Lewis and Gilbert by careful expert
ments proved that cropping continn-
ally. without returning nitrogen
in some shape to the soil, will render
it barren and unfruitful. Storer says
(yolume one, page 35D:'1t is to the
soil that the farmer must look for all
The chief supply of nitrogen. as well
As for all of the other kinds of plant
food except oxygen and carbonic acid.
Most of the nitrogen of the soil exists
there in insoluble and inert forms,
which have never been accurately
'iud'ed " While nitrogen comes al
most exclusively to plants from the soil,
ammonia, oxygen and carbonic acid
'omes to plants from the air. The
mount of carbonic acid Gas stated by
,turcr) in the air is almost incredible.
ie says there are IS tons of carbonic
,cid in tie air to every acre of the
arth's surface. So If mans misman.
cement exhausts the nitrogen of the
soil, there is little danger Of his inl-
providence eNhausting the supply o.
rarbonic acid, which Is so important To
animal and vegetable life.
Oxygen is another element necessary
ION plant growth and animal life. which
no extravaganza of man will ever ex-
haust Eight-ninths of water, one.
fourth air. as well as one-half of all
-ilica, chalk and alumnia, which are
the three chief constituents of the
earth's surface, is oxygen. Of this man
need not be saving. Ammonia is an
other element in plant life and growth
which is most freqeuntly combined with
other elements. But all of these things
open wide field for the study and in
yestigation Of farmers. But especially
that of nitrogen, which constitutes the
best element of all natural or CONNER
clal fertilizers. 49, es Moines ReytS,er