330 Bacteria in Relation to Country Life 



puzzling to Wagner, may be interpreted more readily 

 with the aid of recent investigations. The carbon bi- 

 sulfide destroyed the existing bacterial equilibrium in 

 the soil and allowed the enormous increase of new species 

 combinations, with the result that the humus-nitrogen 

 was made available at a more rapid rate. On the other 

 hand, when the manure itself was treated with carbon 

 bisulfide, the bacteria were, to a great extent, destroyed. 

 The surviving spore-forming organisms and others 

 derived from the soil, freed from the competition of 

 the non-spore-forming species, soon made up for lost 

 time. The decomposition of the manure proceeded more 

 rapidly, greater quantities of available organic sub- 

 stances were placed at the disposal of denitrifying 

 bacteria in the soil, and greater quantities of soil-nitrates 

 were destroyed. 



LOSSES OF ELEMENTARY NITROGEN 



It is generally conceded that the loss of nitrogen 

 from decomposing manure may be decreased by com- 

 pacting it, and increased by facilitating in it the circu- 

 lation of air. However, there is still serious difference of 

 opinion as to the manner in which the nitrogen is lost, 

 or, at any rate, as to the manner in which most of the 

 nitrogen is lost. The loss may be due to the change of 

 the organic nitrogen into ammonia and the volatiliza- 

 tion of the latter. There is no doubt that the rapid 

 transformation of the nitrogen compounds in liquid 

 manure into ammonium carbonate, and the concen- 

 tration of the liquid, lead to losses of ammonia. 



