J. C. B. Ellis and C. G. T. Morison 5 



Results of this operation are given in Table IV. In the first column 

 are given amounts of ammoniacal nitrogen expressed as percentages 

 of air-dried peat ; in the second column these amounts are expressed as 

 percentages of the amount of ammoniacal nitrogen removed by direct 

 distillation with masrnesia : 



II 

 63-4 



50-2 

 79^7 



524 

 63- 1 

 69-5 



These results are important as showing that the soil water in peat 

 contains ammonia or ammonium compounds which are in equilibrium 

 under the conditions of the experiment with the same substances 

 adsorbed by the colloidal bodies in the humus. Further work is necessary 

 before it is possible to differentiate quantitatively between the nitrogen 

 obtained from adsorbed ammonium compounds and that arising from 

 the decomposition of organic bodies. In Table IV results have been 

 given with peats obtained from 3 feet and 6 feet from the surface as 

 well as from the surface itself, and the figures show that the amounts 

 of ammonia capable of extraction by water differ considerably at the 

 different depths. 



This has been found to be a very general phenomenon both in the 

 case of these water extractions and in the case of direct distillations 

 with magnesia. Examples of the latter are given in Table V, which 

 shows the quantities of ammoniacal nitrogen removed by ordinary 

 distillations with magnesia, expressed as percentages of air-dried peats. 

 The results are of 3 soils, and to 3 depths of soil. 



The variations observed are great and, as was shown in Table IV, 

 also occur with the amounts of ammonia extracted by water. So far 

 it has been impossible to trace any definite relation between the two 

 sets of figures. 



