The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-07-13

Notes on SON Nltroeep.

TO soil nitrate, and find, before they
finish their tests, that they have proved
a part Of something else. A vast
amount Of. experimenting along these
lines remains to be done, ever to reach
q few certain conclusions.
For years the Wisconsin station has
been carrying on experiments having
In view the determining Of a number
OF things relative to nitric nitrogen In
the soil. Among the things to be
found out were (1) the varia5lsness
of nitric nitrogen in the soil during
the growing season; az the difference
In amounts Of nitric nitrogen j n fal!ow
soil and soil in crops; (3) the infu-
ence Of cultivation on the formation
Of this element; az the influence OF
nitrates on the thrifty versus The yell
low and withered plants; 90 the va
riableness of the nitric supply in and
between rows of corn; co. the differ
ence in supply of nitrogen in soil and
we'll water; % the discovery of an
accurate method Of determining the
nitric nitrogen in soils.
A few of the conclusions reached
may be summarized as follows: In
dividing the soil into foot, layers to a
depth of four feet, the greatest changes
were found in the foot next the sur
fact. In this top layer the supply of
nitric nitrogen varied greatly through
out the growing season. The amount
in the spring was small, but increased
rapidly during the first three months
Of growth, reaching their maximum
amount in June or July, according to
the kind Of crop being grown upon
the fields. During July. when crops
are growing most vigorously, the nitric
nitrogen rapidly decreases till the first
part Of August, after which it remains
quite constant in the surface layer.
In the other layers little change is
observed.
The value Of frequent cultivation is
apparently in the more rapid accumu-
htion of nitric nitrogen rather than in
the mere conservation Of moisture. It
was found that stirring the soil once
per week, as compared with the stir
ring Of it nce in two weeks, left the
soil stirred. after 81 days. with 9S.16
as compared with 53.01 pounds Of nj
trio nitrogen per million of dry soil.
In the second series of experiments
which covered 258 days the soil stirred
once per. week had acquired a mean
Of 225.41 parts and that once in two
weeks 1870 parts per million of dry
soil showing the largest gains with the
more frequent cultivation. It was
found that stirring the soil to depths
Of n inch two inches. three inches
and four inches during an interval of
258 days resulted in an increasing
amount Of nitric nitrogen until the
three inch depth was passed, but that
cultivation four inches deep gave q
smaller ~nitri1cation than the three
inch depth did. Thus in a soil stirred
once a week the action Of the forces
that create nitric nitrogen Is stimulated
exceedingly. The increase Of these nj
trates results In a decided increase in
growth Of plants. all Of which has
hitherto been credited to better direc-
ton Of the water supply.
The amount of available nitrates af-
fects the thrift and color of the leaves.
From the experiments referred to we
draw the conclusion that leaves turn
;sere because the supply Of nitrates Is
virtually cut of; and this lessened sup
ply Of nitrates Is q provision Of ma
sture to assist in the elaboration Of
seed. The amount Of nitric nitrogen
left in the surface foot Of soil before
crops begin to turn yellow for lack
of available nitrogen becomes very