113 



It is evident tliat the heavy soil was iinfavoral)le to nitritieation, only 

 .'.l. intr. of nitric acid beii)<r forined from the siili)liate of ammonia. That 

 so nmcli more was formed from the nitroj^cn of the lupines is attributed 

 by the author to the loosening of the soil b^' the decomposinpf plants, 

 by which aeration was facilitated. In the lighter soil, which was rela- 

 tively favorable (o nitrification, L'lSS mg. of nitric acid was formed from 

 the sulphate of ammonia. The nitriticatiou of the lupine exceeded that 

 of the dried blood. 



Field experiments with maize grown for fodder on land manured with 

 green alfalfa, with dried blood, and with sul[)hate of ammonia gave 

 results very favorable to the alfalfa. — [W. O. A.] 



The decomposition of organic fertilizers in soil, A. 'M.untz( Compt. 

 rend., 110 (181)0), 7;, lUOG). — I'nder ordinary circumstances the nitrogen of 

 all organic substances decaying in soil, changes into nitrates. In 1877 

 and later Bchlosing and i\liintz showed that this transformation is due to 

 ferments which they have studied. Of the numerous organisms of soil, 

 the nitrobacteria are the most important, since it is they that change 

 the nitrogen into nitric acid, the form most assimilable by plants. 



In a recent series of experiments, Miintz shows that there are still 

 other organisms which in their work precede those of nitrification. 

 That is to say, these latter transform organic nitrogen into ammonia 

 from which the nitric acid is produced. They are probably indispen- 

 sable to the life of the nitrifying organisms and to the complete trans- 

 formation of nitrogenous organic matter. Experiments to decide the 

 question as to whether the nitrobacteria can live ui)on other nitrogen 

 compounds besides ammonia, may not prove very difBcult, since Wino- 

 gradsky has succeeded in isolating them in pure cultures. Meanwhile, 

 however, Miintz shows in the present investigation that the agent for 

 the production of ammonia exists in all soils, and that it works the 

 transformation of the nitrogen of organic materials, especially manures, 

 into compounds of ammonia. 



There is great difference as to the tacilitj- with which the nitrogen 

 of humic compounds and that of other organic substances, such as 

 stable manure and other excreta, dried blood and flesh, horn, wool, 

 leather, oil cakes, etc., is nitrilied. Thus the nitrogen of humus is 

 assimilated by plants very slowly, but that of the other substances 

 mentioned, more or less rapidly. 



In order to get an insight into the nature of the transformation 

 products of organic nitrogen into ammonia or nitric acid, Miintz 

 experimented with several soils. Some of them were acid and not 

 adapted to nitrification, while others were more or less favorable to 

 the action of nitrifying ferments. Each kind of soil served in three 

 ex[H'riments. In one it was used by itself; in a second horn, and in a 

 third dried blood was added. The experiments continued from 11 days 

 to 8 months. In one case the soils were sterilized at 90^ C, at which 

 temperature the nitrifying ferment is killed but most of the others are 



