The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-06-18

rain washes from the atmosphere into
the soil small quantities of nitrogen
compounds, says an experimental sta
ton bulletin. Then the roots forag1ng
for food and sending out shoots here
and there in their quest take up by
means of an apparatus carried by all
root hairs, wherever and whenever they
can, bodies containing nitrogen. But,
it may be asked, since it is a well
known fact that four-fifths Of the at
mosphere is pure nitrogen why does not
the plant take this element directly
from the air? The reason is simply
this: That all the higher plants can
take up nitrogen only when it is COM
bined with other elements. The leaves
can take it up when it Is united with
another element to form ammonia; and
the roots prefer it when it is combined
in the form of nitrates as, for example,
saltpeter. Yet there are plants, as re-
cent experiments have demonstrated,
that, by slightly indirect means, can
take nitrogen from the air. Among the
AA4ahy SlOSSOpiS Va 6odloblo oiSNO'
cred in the latter days and shown to
be the cause of many subtle material
changes, some exist with the power OF
eating free nitrogen, or OF taking nj
trogen from the air. They, the nitro
gen eaters, will live on the roots OF GER
tain plants, though, as far as our
knowledge goes at present, not on all.
When a plant is fortunate enough to
meet the demands Of the nitrogen at
ers its supply of nitrogen compounds is
assured. if all other conditions are ia
vorable. The minute organisms VIII
settle on the roots of the plants and, by
means yet unknown, will cause the nj
trogen of the air surrounding the roots
to enter into combinations mat will be
acceptable to the plant. This, however,
is not done without just return. Inc
minute organisms need for their well
being such organic substances as the
plants can produce; these are taken
from the roots of the plants, and the
organisms are thus seen to be parasites
on the plants. The plants to winch
these nitrogen eaters" will attach
themselves are the members OF Inc
leguminous family; important mem
bers of which are the pea and Iucern.
We have now considered in very ele-
mentary manner the Importance OF the
heterogeneous compounds Of plant to
the farmer, and the sources on which
plant depends for its supply OF nitro
gen. Since it is fact that several diff
ferent kinds of heterogeneous substances
are found in all plants, we may now
logically ask: are all the heterogeneous
substances found in plants OF equal
value as flesh formers? The answer
to the question of the last paragraph is
emphatically, no. All the bodies con-
.aining nitrogen in any plant may be
divided into two classes; those that
NAV be used by an animal in building
muscular tissue, aud those that may
not. The first class is made up of sew
eral members which resemble each 9TH
er in composition and in general be-
hayior. They all, further, resemble the
white of an egg or albumen, and are,
therefore, called albuminoids, like al
bumen. The other class of heterogeneous
substances may be called non-albumi-
noids. In the study of the alblminoids,
It has been found that they weigh very
nearly six and quarter times as much
as the nitrogen they contain. Since
the -albuminoids usually are pres
ent only in small quantities. the chem
list very often determines all the nitro
gen a plant contains and, after multi
plying it by six and quarter, calls it
Crude Protein.