Food for f or a l on g period when the ground is warm and the condi- 

 tions most favorable to render the Nitrogen in organic sub- 

 stances available and yet only part of it could be used by the 

 crop. 



When it is considered that Nitrogen in the form of 

 Nitrate of Soda can be bought for as little or less per pound 

 than in almost any other form, the advantage and economy 

 of purchasing and using this form is very apparent. 



Nitration as studied by means of the drainage water 

 of 6 plats of land, each 300 square yards in area, during 4 

 years, shows that the loss of Nitrogen in the drain- 

 age water was very small and practically negligible. Even 

 when Nitrogen was applied in the spring the losses were not 

 large unless heavy rains occurred at the time. The Nitrogen 

 is apparently rapidly taken up by the young growing plants 

 at this season of the year and only a small portion is free to 

 pass into the drainage. The greatest losses may occur in the 

 fall, when the soil is bare and heavy rains occur, the Nitrates 

 having accumulated in large quantities during the warmer 

 period of the year. Large losses at this season are, however, 

 prevented by the growing of cover crops. 



Chile's Supply of Nitrate. 



Investigation Proves It Sufficient, in all Likelihood, 

 to Last Several Centuries. 



A good deal has been said in this country and in Europe 

 about the probability of the Nitrate beds of Chile being ex- 

 hausted within twenty to twenty-five years. The matter 

 has been made the object of a native government investigation 

 with the result that the investigators report enough to last 

 for several centuries yet. 



Of interest in connection with the report of a new pro- 

 cess for the cheap commercial extraction of Nitrogen from the 

 air, for use in making fertilizers, is a recent (Chilean) gov- 

 ernment report on the Chilean Nitrate beds. It is estimated 

 that the state still possesses nearly 5,000,000 acres of Nitrate 

 grounds, which contain about 1,000,000,000,000 pounds of 

 Nitrate. Taking half this figure as the total available supply, 

 and assuming an annual export of 8,000,000,000 pounds, 



