Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1911-12-08
NITROGEN IN BEET LAND


organic nature. This emphatically
points to the Importance OF research
es with view of finding out the
chemical nature of the organic nitro
genous compounds present, in the
soil. Such knowledge would enable
us. in the first place. to better under
| stand the important biological pro-
| ccsscs OF ammonihcation, nitrifcation
| and identification; to comprehend
why the nitrogen in one soil is more
| useful or available than in another; !;
to see whether there are among the
| nitrogenous compounds such that are
| detrimental to plant life; and last but
not least. it will enable us to utilize
the soil nitrogen to better advantage
! than is at present the case.
While some nitrogenous bodies
like urea, for instance, readily fur
nish ammonia through fermentation.
| others do not. While such COM
pounds like asparagine, e. g., repre-
sent plant food, tyrosin is considered
as being hurtful to plants.
Important as is the knowledge OF
| the organic matter or humus in the
soil. our present scope of informa-
, tion is extremely limited, TO say the
least.
A few of the conclusions to which
the work of the author has led may
be summarized as follows:
1. Practically all OF the nitrogen
present in soils is organic in nature.
?. Since we have found that the
organic nitrogenous compounds in
Iowa soils as well as in Michigan
peat soils are made up chiefly of acid
amides and amino acids, despite
considerable variety of the sources OF
the organic nitrogen, it seems fairly
safe to state that the bulk OF the or
ganic nitrogen in the majority of
soils. ii not in all. consists very like
" OF acid amides and amino acids.
1t would be beyond the province
of this article to go into details as to
the significance OF the conclusions
Just reported. We may do it before
very long in another contribution to
this journal, il time will allow us to
do so. At present, however, it seems
fairly safe to state that the research
work along the indicated lines, con-
(i-ctcd in several institutions i'll this
country, as well as al the Iowa Agri--
culturai Experiment, Station, may
within the next few years reveal
enough facts as to fully disclose the
chemical nature of practically all the
nitrogen occurring in soils. We wish
to mention here. by the way, that
Quoted with the object in view of find
| inn out the conditions under which
the soil PHOSPHORUS and other ele-
ments could better be utilized.
1t is true that manure and CONNER
-ial fertilizers, such as nitrate of
soda, sulphate OF ammonia. tankage,
dried blood and other fcrtilizing ma
terials give the farmer a means for in
creasing the beet tonnage. Manure,
however. cannot always be had in
sufficient quantities. and the CONNER
clal fertilizers represent a consider
able item in the expenses OF raising
| sugar beets. Besides. the rather uni
form and in but small degree varying
decomposition of soil humus has, as
| 4 consequence, the constant produc-
| ton OF plant food throughout the
| growing season. This is great ad-
vantage as compared with CONNER
| cial fertilizers, such as nitrate of soda,
| which being at once soluble and avail
| ible are not infrequently leached out
| OF the soil in considerable quantities.
| while the beets and other plants find
ample time to take up the nitrogen
and other food resulting from the
gradual decay of humus materials.
Armed with the knowledge as to
the chemical nature OF the soil nitro
gen, the intelligent sugar beet farm
er will be enabled to reduce or to
I entirely cut out his fertilizer bill, and
yet to obtain a higher tonnage per
acre than he gets at present. This he
will attain simply by virtue of the
fact that in the increased knowledge
he will have at his command a means
of utilizing the nitrogen Gas well as
PHOSPHORUS and other plant food)
already in the soil in a much higher
degree than he does now. just as the
larger sugar output fro mthe beets
| than he did ten years or SO ago be-
cause of a better understanding of
| the processes involved. i. e., of the
sugar extraction, epuration, evapo-
ration and crystillization.