628 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



It was found that lime nitrogen draws on the moisture and carbon dioxid of 

 the air and gradually loses its nitrogen by evaporation; that lime nitrogen 

 dissolves slowly in water ; in contact with moist soil lime nitrogen undergoes 

 various changes, resulting in ii part of its nitrogen being converted into dicy- 

 andiamld, which is injurious to plants ; carbon dioxid, luuuus acids, and heat 

 favor such a change, while soil bacteria retard it by promoting transformation 

 of the lime nitrogen into ammonia and nitric acid. Concentrated solutions of 

 lime nitrogen hinder the formation of ammonia and nitric acid by bacteria, and 

 the production of these compounds can proceed only in very dilute solutions 

 of lime nitrogen. The formation of nitric acid requires even more dilute solu- 

 tions than the production of ammonia. The nitrogen of urea is more rapidly 

 converted into ammonia and nitric acid by bacterial action than lime nitrogen. 

 The urea was more rapidly converted into ammonia in sandy soils than in 

 loamy soils, but the reverse was true in case of lime nitrogen. The loss of 

 ammonia from the soil by evaporation was greater in the case of lime nitrogen 

 than in the case of ammonium sulphate. 



The pot experiments with carrots, oats, barley, fodder beets, and sugar beets 

 on 9 different kinds of soil, comparing the effect of nitrate of soda, ammonium 

 sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium carbonate, calcium nitrate, basic lime 

 nitrate, fisli gtiano, and green manures, showed that nitrate of soda and am- 

 monium sulphate gave uniformly higher yields and greater nitrogen assiniila- 

 tif>n than lime nitrogen, and that the superiority of the former over the latter 

 was greater the larger the amount of lime niti'ogen applied. The effect of the 

 lime nitrogen, however, varies with the amount applied, the character of the 

 soil, and other conditions of application. In these experiments an application 

 of 0.75 gm. per pot (25 cm. in diameter and 33 cm. deep) gave normal results. 

 Using the results of pot experiments as a basis, it is calculated that, taking 

 the fertilizing value of nitrate of soda as 100, that of lime nitrogen is 00. As 

 already stated the conditions which favored the formation of dicyandiamid 

 lowered the efficiency of the lime nitrogen. Conditions which favored the action 

 of the lime nitrogen were wide and uniform distribution, thorough mixture of 

 the lime nitrogen with the surface soil, early application (at least 14 days 

 before seeding), abundant moisture, high bacterial content of the soil, a loamy 

 s(»il in good condition, and not too large application. 



The comparative data obtained for the other nitrogenous fertilizers tested 

 showed little difference in effect between ammonium sulphate and ammonium 

 nitrate, and on loam soils ammonium carbonate was just as efficient as the 

 sulphate and nitrate. On sandy soils the carbonate was normal in action when 

 applied at rates not exceeding 0.75 gm. per pot. The action of calcium nitrate 

 was perfectly normal when apiilied to loam soils at a rate of 1.5 gm. per pot, 

 and on sandy soils when applied at rates of 2.25 gm. per pot. The high lime 

 content of the calcium nitrate and the still higher conteiit of the basic lime 

 nitrate produced an injurious effect. Fish guano produced a fertilizing effect 

 corresponding to 78, taking the action of ammonium nitrate and suli)hate as 

 100. On sandy soils the green manures were just as efficient as the fish guano. 

 On loam soils they were somewhat less efficient. 



Ammonium sulphate as a fertilizer, Huntkr (Jour. Ga><li(jhi., 59 (1907), 

 p. 236; abs. in Clicm. Ztg.. 31 (1901), No. 73, Rrpert. Xo. 67, p. 455).— The 

 results of numerous comparative tests by different investigators of ammonium 

 sulphate and other nitrogenous fertilizers showing the superior fertilizing value 

 of ammonium sulphate are compiled. 



Experiments with crude ammonia, L. Babgeron (Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 

 l.'f (1907), No. 3-'f, pp. 242-2-'f6, figs. 5). — Experiments with white mustard con- 



