3O4 AGRICULTURAL ANALYSIS 



The plants which are least capable of utilizing atmospheric nitro- 

 gen are the monocotyledons, and especially the cereals and grasses. 

 According to Jamieson, the chlorophyll cell seems to possess 

 in a high degree the property of transforming nitrogen, and the 

 function of the green cell, in this particular, is analogous to that 

 possessed by it of utilizing the carbon of the carbon dioxid 

 in the air for the purpose of producing organic compounds. He 

 claims to have established the fact, that the free nitrogen in the 

 air is directly absorbed and transformed into organic compounds 

 by these cells. 



The number of these organs, their nature, and their apti- 

 tude to exercise their functions vary considerably from one plant 

 to another. In particular, the monocotyledons such as the cereals 

 and grasses are very poorly endowed with the organs from the 

 point of view of the fixation of nitrogen. The form of these 

 organs also varies greatly and the different forms observed by 

 Jamieson are described in his work. These organs are called 

 producers of protein, and are not met with in general except in 

 the tender part of the very young leaves or their petioles. At 

 the beginning of their formation they do not contain any pro- 

 tein. When these organs are completely developed the produc- 

 tion of protein begins and the organs are sometimes gorged with 

 protein, and this continues for a certain length of time. The 

 plants which are most apt to fix a great deal of nitrogen do not 

 have need of nitrogen fertilizers, provided they find at the begin- 

 ning of their development favorable conditions that will permit 

 the proper growth of the organs which produce the protein. In- 

 stead of buying nitrogenous fertilizers as a greater aid to the 

 plants which are able to fix only little nitrogen, such as cereals 

 and grasses, it will be sufficient to cultivate those plants which 

 absorb and fix a great deal of nitrogen and thus to incorporate 

 this nitrogen in the soil. 



These observations are cited solely to call attention to them. If 

 confirmed by future investigations, they wili prove useful in prac- 

 tical agriculture in securing a more abundant supply of nitrogen- 

 ous material for plant growth. 



267. Accumulation and Utilization of Atmospheric Nitrogen 

 in the Soil. Interesting investigations have been made on this 



