218 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



the fertilizing materials added to the soil, numerous determina- 

 tions of tlie total nitrogen, free ammonia and nitrates were 

 made on samples of water from the drainage cylinders between 

 July 14 and Oct. 25, 1011. Nitrates were invariably found, 

 but in insignificant amounts, and there was no practical differ- 

 ence between the water from bogs treated with nitrates and 

 from those without them. Twenty-nine samples from bogs with 

 nitrates contained 0.0299 part of nitric nitrogen in 100,000 

 parts of water, while 23 samples from bogs without nitrates 

 contained 0,0298 part in 100,000. Free ammonia was much 

 more prominent than nitrates and formed about one-third of 

 the total nitrogen. There was a slight difference in favor of the 

 fertilized bogs, since 34 samples from bogs fertilized with nitrate 

 of soda contained 1.358 parts of ammonia in 100,000 parts of 

 water, while 21 samples from bogs receiving no nitrates con- 

 tained 1.227 parts of ammonia in 100,000. This slight differ- 

 ence indicates a possible denitrification and loss of nitrates in 

 the form of ammonia. In determining total nitrogen about 

 one-third of the samples were filtered through porcelain tubes 

 before making the analysis. The slimy precipitate thus re- 

 moved contained nearly two-fifths of the nitrogen present in 

 the unfiltered waters. Forty-eight samples of unfiltered water 

 contained 3. 290 parts of nitrogen in 100,000 parts of water, 

 while 27 samples of filtered water contained 2.058 parts of 

 nitrogen in 100,000 parts of water. 



Table IX. — Total Nitrogen in Bog Waters, Unfiltered, 1911. 



[Parts in 100,000.] 



Average nitrogen in 27 samples from nitrate bogs, 3.399 parts. 

 Average nitrogen in 18 samples from no nitrate bogs, 3.233 parts. 



