4 Ammoniacal Nitrogen of Peats and Humus Soils 



Table III. 



Origin and Description 



Irish Peals : 



Shaughnessy's Bog. Old deposit of peat lying 

 under permanent grass of fair quality. Car- 

 boniferous limestone. Altitude, 200 ft. S.W. 

 Co. Limerick 



The Abbey Bog. Very shallow small bog on car- 

 boniferous hmestone in S. W. Co. Limerick 



Knockballyboy, King's Co. Carboniferous lime- 

 stone. Surface peat 



Shanagolden, S.W. Co. Limerick. Millstone grit. 

 Altitude, 600-700 ft. Surface covered with 

 heather, bog cotton and osmunda 



Red bog. Surface, 0"-9" (see above) 



Red bog. Surface, 9"- 18" 



Mcenecn, Portumna, Co. Galway. Surface peat... 



Scotch Peal: 



Corrour, Inverness. Surface peat. Altitude, 1800 ft. 



Ammoniacal Nitrogen 

 evolved expressed as 

 percentage of 

 Reaction air-dried peat 



Neutral 



Acid 



•0079 I 

 •0075J 



D 



•029G) 

 •0261 I 

 ■0260 



■0285; 



r H 



The amount of ammonia obtained from neutral peats is very much 

 less than that obtained from so called acid peats. 



The large quantities of nitrogen obtained in some peats can come 

 from two sources, either from organic compounds capable of hydrolysis 

 by the magnesia, or from ammonia or ammonium salts absorbed by 

 the peat. 



* It was considered that a qualitative distinction might be made 

 between the two by determining the amount of ammonia which could 

 be removed by extraction with water. The removal of any considerable 

 quantity by water would show that much of it was present adsorbed 

 by the peat. 



A suitable quantity of air-dried peat was shaken continuously for 

 24 hours with ammonia free distilled water and filtered, and an aliquot 

 part distilled with magnesia as before. 



