The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-06-25

rain washes from the atmosphere into
the soil small quantities OF nitrogen
compounds. says an experimental sta
ton bulletin. Then the roots foraging
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. Blu.
II may be asked. since II Is well
known fact that four-hfths OF the at
mosphero 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 II is com
bined with other elements The leaves
can take II up when II Is united with
another element to form ammonia; and
the roots prefer II when II Is combined
In tho form OF nltratos 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
many microscopic organisms discoy-
cred In the latter days and shown to
be the cause OF many subtle material
charges, some exist with the power 81
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 n plant Ia fortunate enough to
meet the demands OF the nitrogen at
ers It's supply OF nitrogen compounds Is
assured, II all other conditions are Ia
yorable. The minute organisms viii
settle on the roots OF the plants and, ny
means yet unknown. Will cause the nj
trogun OF the air surrounding the roots
20 enter Into combinations tnat VIII De
acceptable to the plant This. however
ia not done without just return. The
minute organisms need for their well
being such organic substances ns the
Giants can produce; these are taken
from the roots Of the plants, and the
Organisms are thus seen to be parasltel
on the plants. The plants to which
these nitrogen eaters" Will attach
themselves are the members OF ih'
leguminous family; important mem
bers OF which are the pea and lucern
We have now considered in a very ele
mentary manner the Importance oil th'
nltrogenous compounds OF plant t'
the farmer. and the sources on when
plant depends for its supply OF nitro
gen, Since II IL fact that several dit
tercnt kinds OF heterogeneous substances
are found In all plants. we may nov
logically ask: are all the nitrogenou
substances found In plants OF eqaa
value as flesh formersI The answe
to the question OF the last paragraph Il
emphatically, no. All the bodies con
tanning nitrogen in any plant may b
divided into two classes: those tina
may be used by an animal In bulldinl
muscular tissue, and those that ma!
not. The first class is made up OF sew
ernl members which resemble each 9th
er In composition and In general be
hayior. They ALL further, resemble IN
white OF an egg or albumen, ana are
therefore. called albumlnoids, like al
bumen. The other class OF nitrosenou
substances may be called non-albuml
nolds. In the study OF the alblmlnoldi
Il has been found that they weigh yer
nearly six and n quarter times as niue
as the nitrogen they contain. Sine
the n-albumlnoids usually are pres
ent only / small quantities. the chen
lat very often determines all the nitro
gen a plant contains and. after mutt
plying II by six and n quarter, calls
Crude Protein.