The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-31
The Hacteria of Nitrincntion.

DR.. ]. L. Buson, professor of chemistry
in the Georgia Psychological School, writes
as follows on this interesting subject:
Nitrogen is at the same time the most
important element of plant-food and the
by the plant until 1t is converted into
some nitrate, @. g.. saltpeter. All organ
ic matter contains some nitrogen; some
kinds, as pea vines, clover ETC., contain
a much larger percentage of nitrogen
than Others. The nitrogen in the plant
forms the basis of the albumens dixie
white of eggs, proteids, etc. During the
process of decay this nitrogen is changed
by many kinds of Heterogeneous into
some form of ammonia. This process
takes place readily, and under almost all
condltlon in warm weather. Then an
other kind of micro-organism or bacteria
lives in the soil and upon the ammonia
and changes it into nitrous acid or into
the salts of this acid. Then still Another
bacteria converts these nitrous salts mi
trates) into nitritas, the latter containing
one more part of oxygen than the former
A Russian chemist and bacteriologist sue
ceeded in finding and separating each OF
these kinds of bacteria, and by placing
each IN tubes they made one nitrites and
theh the other nitrites from ammonia
Conditions Favorable to Notification
since nitrogen is so essential to plant
growth, forming the living, growing por-
lion of all plants, and since only nitrates
can De assmilated by plants a knowl-
edge of the conditions favorable to nitrI-
hcation is very important
l. Warmth, about 80 to 95 degrees
2. Moisture. best not too much so as
10 MI up the pores in the soil
.. Looseness of soil, for the process ia
one OF oxidation, and the oxygen or the
AR must be present in considerab BILE GUAM
titles.
4; The presence of base, as lime. soda.
potash, Tor the acid formed must combine
with these bases and form a salt (nitrate)
with them Sour land won't nitrifv until
a base. as lime, Is added.
.. Stirring. The bacteria can not move
from place to place among the soil grains
ana ma the organic matter, so the soil
must be stirred frequently in order that
the bacteria viii continually be finding
new portions of organic matter This last
factor Except in the case of sour lands)
Is the only one which is under the control
OF the farmer, and the farmer does NOT
realize the value of frequent stirring. rain
or no rain. l am aware that / am pre-
senting a new doctrine to the farmer when
say the soil should be plowed even where
there has been no rain since the last
ploWing, in order to promote nitrifcation
Inc director of the French experiment
station, DR.. Diberaine, placed portions of
the same soil in different vessels. One
he stirred once a month, the next he stir
red once in two weeks, the next once a
week, and the last twice a week. After
three months he analysed each for nitrates
and found that about twenty times as
much of the organic nitrogen had been
changed into nitrates in case of the one
which had been stirred twice a week as
in the one stirred once a month.
The writer tested for nitrates in many
kinds of soil and found no nitraies in sour
crawfish' land and in meadow lands Linn
ing drainage $50 as to let the air in the
SOLD and stirring would put these lands in
a condition for good crops. He found less
nitrates in a soil previously in sorghum
than in the same soil previously in corn
| or cotton; why I can not say. But sorg-
| hum either makes very much heavier
| drafts on nitrogen in the soil than corn,
| etc, or leaves something in the soil which
| hinders notification Rapid notification is
| essential TO a good crop, and is promoted
| by rapid stirring. If the stirring be very
| shallow it may be prolonged very late to
| an advantage.