METEOROLOGY CLIMATOLOGY. 917 



uted, resulting in a severe drought in winter and spring and excessive 

 rain in sunnner). The precipitation at the experimental farm of the 

 station, which is situated in a deep valley 3.5 kilometers distant from 

 the station, was 583.2 mm. The number of rainy days at the farm was 

 173, as against 114 at the station. The laboratory work reported 

 consisted of analyses of the products of the experimental farm and 

 vineyard, tests of analytical methods, especially those for nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid and potash, and examinations of rain water and lysim- 

 eter drainage water. The nitrogen of rain water was found to be 

 mainly in ammoniacal form, rarely and in very small amounts as 

 nitrites, and still more rarely in nitrates. The annnoniacal nitrogen 

 varied during !) months (July to March) from O.-t to 7 mg. per liter. 

 Frost and fog were richest in ammonia, containing from 9 to 13 mg. 

 The rains of -July and September were richest in ammonia. In July 

 the soil received from rain water 1,022.2 gm. of nitrogen per hectare, 

 in September, 1,112.96 gm. The rainfall was most abundant during 

 these months. It was found as a rule that the more copious the rain- 

 fall the lower the proportion of nitrogen. Ordinarily the tirst portion 

 of the rain was richer in nitrogen than that falling later. The total 

 amount of nitrogen carried to the soil by atmospheric precipitation 

 during the 9 months was 1,398.6 gm. per hectare (nearly 4 lbs. per acre). 



In the drainage water from the lysimeter containing bare soil, not 

 only ammonia, but considerable quantities of nitric nitrogen, were 

 found; Avhile in that from soil covered with vegetation only ammonia 

 was found. Of 246.85 gm. of ammoniacal nitrogen carried to 1 hec- 

 tare of soil by 22.8 mm. of rain, only 57.37 gm. was recovered in the 

 drainage water. It is assumed that the remaining 189,46 gm. was 

 nitrilied. Of the 505.58 gm. of ammoniacal nitrogen supplied to 1 

 hectare of soil by the 46.7 mm, of atmospheric precipitation during 12 

 days of observation, it was found that 57.37 gm. were leached out 

 in the drainage water, and it is estimated that 189.46 gm. were nitri- 

 tied and 258.75 gm. disappeared. The latter was probably partly 

 niti-itied and passed into the drainage water, and partly escaped as free 

 nitrogen. The total amount of nitric nitrogen found in the drainage 

 water during the same period was 8,666.49 gm. per hectare. This is 

 equivalent to 57. 57 kg, of nitrates. It is estimated that the ammoniacal 

 nitrogen furnished by atmospheric precipitation during the year yields 

 on an average 4.586 kg. nitrate per hectare, while at the same time the 

 soil elaborates independently 202.9 kg. The investigations show that 

 vegetation exercises a very decided intluence in reducing the losses of 

 nitrogen in the drainage water. 



The field experiments during 1899 consisted of tests of various rota- 

 tions with and without fertilizers and manure, the adaptability of 

 various crops, and the study of the intluence of vegetation and meth- 

 ods of culture on the temperature and humidity of the air and soil. 



