1913. 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 



83 



The above data show that the exposed stalks have lost bv 

 leaching about 57 per cent, of the total nitrogen and 51 per cent, 

 of the total potash contained in the original stalks. The form 

 in which the nitrogen was present in the unexposed stalk was 

 also detennined. Ground, air-dried, unexposed stalks testing 

 3.29 per cent, nitrogen (3.49 per cent, on a dry-matter basis) 

 were tested for nitrates, albmninoid nitrogen and amid com- 

 pounds, with results as stated below : — 



Per Cent, in 

 Dry Matter. 



Nitrogen as nitrates, . . 



Nitrogen in form of amid compounds. 



Albuminoid nitrogen. 



Total nitrogen, . . 



1.29 

 1.20 

 1.00 



3.49 



It is quite probable that the leaching process removes most 

 of the nitric nitrogen and a large proportion of the more soluble 

 amid compounds, and that the residual nitrogen found in the 

 exposed stalks is present largely in albuminoid form and is 

 somewhat more slowly available to plants than the soluble por- 

 tion. The usual practice of burning the stalks would of course 

 result in the loss of this water insoluble nitrogen only, as the 

 potash and phosphoric acid would remain in the plant ash. In 

 the process of burning, an average of about 37.31 pounds of 

 nitrogen (valued at $7) would be lost for every acre of tobacco 

 grown. This would represent a value of $39,900 in Massachu- 

 setts, without considering the loss of the organic matter (some 

 2,000 pounds to the acre). 



It is believed that the most economical way for large tobacco 

 growers to handle this material is to cut the partially dried 



