The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-07-09
MATTERS or INTEREST TO
ACRICULTURISTS.
soms rr-to-pste Mint. Ahou, Cuit'va-
ton Of the soti snd Yields Thereof
uoi culture, ,ucuiturs aud rioriuui-
tnr@
Nn,n, ON Soil Niirnrsn.

ers makes but little headway The ag-
gregateis, however, large. Nitrogen has
so many forms and so many changes
that II has proved a most difficult ele-
ment to bind and analyze. To follow Its
transformations and learn the causes
Of those transformations have proven
still more difficult The experimenters
start out TO prove one thing relative
to soil nitrate and nnd. 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, even TO reach
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
tho soil. Among tho things to be
found out were CD the yaria5lsneas
of nitric nitrogen In the soil during
the growing season; CD the adherence
In amounts OF nitric nitrogen IN iallow
soil and soil In crops; go the iniiu-
ence Of cultivation on the formation
Of this element; N) the influence OF
nitrates on the thrifty versus The yell
low and withered plants; 60 the va
riableness of the nitric supply IN and
between rows OF corn; Co the differ
enco in supply of nitrogen in soil and
we'll water; Cd 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 1t remains
quite constant In the surface layer.
In the other layers little change Is
/ observed.
/ AN NhAh' VI AANNhNhA NhANAfhNaNh 80
apparently In the more rapid accumu-
lation OF nitric nitrogen rather than in
the mere conservation OF moisture. II
was found that stirring the soil once
per week, as compared with the stir
ring OF It once in two weeks, left the
soil stirred, after 81 days. with 9S16
/ as compared with 53.0l pounds of nj
trio nitrogen per million OF dry soil.
! In the second series of experiments
Which covered 25S days the soil stirred
once per week hRd acquired q mean
% 295.4i parts and that once in two
] weeks 1879 parts PEI million OF dry
soil showing the largest gains with the
more frequent cultivation. II was
/ found that stirring the soil to depths
| of one inch two inches, three inches
! and four inches during an interval OF
25S days resulted in an increasing
amount OF nitric nitrogen until the
three Inch depth was passed, but that
cultivation four inches deep gave a
smaller nitrlfcation than the three
inch depth did. Thus in a soil stirred
once q week the action OF the forces
that create nitric nitrogen is stimulated
b EAAfNuAAAhi y a AAf AAARA 'taR VI AANAt III
trates results la 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 turu
sere because the supply OF nitrates Is
virtually cut on; and this lessened sup
ply OF nltrates IS a provision OF ma
ture 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
small, the amount found being .2la
parts per million where oats were yet
green, and .025 parts per million where
they were turning yellow. In corn II
was found as low as 95 parts where
corn was green. and 10 parts per mil.
lion where IL was strongly yellow. The
rapid growth OF stalks Just before ma
turity apparently has the result OF TAX.
ing out OF the soil about nine-tenths
OF the nitrates available In the sur
face soil.
The amounts OF nitric nitrogen were
found greatest between the rows OF
corn. as they were coming into tassel
and least directly beneath hills. except
In the surface six inches. and In the
fourth foot where the relations were
slightly reversed. The amounts OF nj.
trio nitrogen are less in the deeper
! ground water wells OF this vicinity
than In the soil. moisture OF the fourth
foot, the nitric nitrogen being only
about one-third OF the amount Obser.
vations indicate that when the textura
equilibrium OF soils is destroyed Il
the presence OF salts in solution
redocculation and reorganization OF th'
soil may take out OF solution a portion
OF the salts leaving a smaller per cen
present after establishing the new
| puuilibrium