389 



tiliers made sokxble by sulfuric acid. This action was very evident in dry 

 springs, and, in fact, on wheat as well as on other cultivated plants. 



In seeds, the injurious effect of the "candying" will be the less felt the 

 longer the seed lies in the soil, before sprouting, for then frequent rains can 

 wash more of the fertilizing salt into the surrounding soil. This has been 

 demonstrated in earlier experiments in Salzmunde\ 



Over-Fertilized Beets. 



Common experience with present intensive beet cultivation, shows 

 that an increased nitrogen supply increases the harvest in bulk, but reduces 

 the sugar content. For this reason we will give only one proof that shows 

 the importance of the form in which the nitrogen is applied. PagnouF 

 analyzed three beets, of which the first (H) had been w^atered several times 

 with a solution of (commercial) nitrate of soda; the second (J) with 

 ammonium sulfate ; while the third (K) represented a normal beet, har- 

 vested at the same time. 



H. J. K. 



The harvest weight amounted to 4i45g 26'/og 7^5S 



Density of the sap amounted to 1.026 1.040 1.046 



Percentage of sugar in the beet 



substance amounted to 3.9 6.3 8.3 



CO2, and Chloral alkalies in 100 

 parts beet substance amounted 



to 1.991 0,924 0.814 



The amount of these in 100 parts 



sugar is 28.0 14.6 9.8 



It is evidenr that with nitrogen fertilization the amount of fresh sub- 

 stance harvested has increased three and a half to five times that obtained 

 with normal cultivation, but the sugar percentage has fallen to one-half. 

 The comparison of the effect of the nitric nitrogen with that of am- 

 moniacal nitrogen is especially interesting. Mention was made above that 

 the latter gives rise to a considerably greater ammonium content in the beet 

 substance. 



Mtiller-Thurgau's recent experiments" show that the nitrogen fertilized 

 plants have a heightened respiration, which may well be the result of a 

 heightened conversion of cane sugar into the directly reducing sugar. On 

 an average every 6 beets contained 



Sugar, directly reducing, Cane sugar 

 Beets rich in nitrogen 0.34 per cent. 8.27 per cent. 



Beets poorer in nitrogen 0.04 per cent. 14-39 P^r cent. 



An idea of the processes which are initiated by a superabundant nitro- 

 gen supply may be obtained from the statements of Pfeiffer-Wendessen*, 



1 Jahresber. f. Agrikulturchemie 1863, p. 60. 

 - Annales agronomiciues 1876, p. 321. 



3 s. tJberdiingte Kartoffeln. p. 390. 



4 Bericht liber die Generalversammlung d. landwirtschaftl. Centralver. f. d. 

 Herzogtum Braunschweig. Blatter f. Zuclverriibenbau 1896, No. 8. 



