486 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. XII, No. 8 



FORMATION OP AMMONIA 



The ammonia determinations were made at the end of two and three 

 months. It will be seen from the data in Table X that all treatments 

 accelerated the formation of ammonia from dried blood. After two 

 months monocalcium phosphate plus calcium carbonate showed the 

 greatest effect, although the phosphate-alone treatment gave nearly as 

 good results. Of the carbonates, calcium carbonate appeared to have 

 the greatest effect in increasing the ammonifying power, an effect nearly 

 as great as that obtained from the phosphate applications. Magnesium 

 carbonate exerted a less effect than did calcium carbonate, and lime- 

 stone had even a less effect than was obtained with magnesium car- 

 bonate. After three months the phosphate still retained a lead in 

 stimulating ammonification. Limestone caused a greater increase in 

 ammonia-producing power than did calcium carbonate, while calcium 

 carbonate gave a greater increase than was obtained with magnesium 

 carbonate. From the data on Colby soil it is shown that the increase 

 in ammonifying power is not always parallel with the increase in the 

 total number of organisms. 



Table X. — Influence of cakium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, limestone, and thouo- 

 calcium phosphate on the ammonification of dried blood in Colby silt loam and Plain- 

 field sand 



The data in Table X for Plainfield sand showed very different results 

 from those obtained with Colby silt loam. After two months a decrease 

 in ammonifying power was noted, except in the case of the one-fourth 

 limestone treatment. The phosphate when applied alone gave the 

 greatest increase, but where calcium carbonate was added in combina- 

 tion with the phosphate, the formation of ammonia was not so great. 



