6 Armnoniacal Nitrogen of Peats and Hmmis Soils 



Surface 



3 ft. 



Gft, 



The results of these preliminary investigations may be summarised 

 as follows : 



]. Distillation with magnesia under the conditions already de- 

 scribed removes an amount of ammonia which is fairly constant for 

 the same peat. This amount is many times greater than in the case 

 of arable soils. 



2. Much of the ammonia can be removed by water alone, and no 

 constant ratio has been found between this amount and that obtained 

 by direct distillation. 



3. The amounts of ammonia removable by direct distillation with 

 magnesia and by solution in water vary considerably with the depth 

 from which the sample has been obtained. 



The nature and source of this ammoniacal nitrogen and the condi- 

 tions of its solution in the soil water are now being investigated. 



This research is being carried out by means of a grant from the 

 Board of Agriculture. 



The authors are indebted to Mr Coyle of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture and Technical Instruction for Ireland and to Messrs John Kelly 

 and E. J. Delahunty, of the County of Galway and the King's County, 

 respectively, for the collection of some of the samples of Irish peats. 



{Received February 2rid, 1910. 



