LYSIMETER EXPERIMENTS —II 61 
REMOVAL OF NITROGEN FROM THE SOIL IN DRAINAGE WATER AND IN CROPS 
There are large differences between the planted and the unplanted tanks 
in respect to the nitrogen removed in the drainage water, the amount from 
the unplanted tanks being in all cases larger. Nitrogen in the drainage 
water was all in the form of nitrates. There are considerable differences 
in the quantities of nitrogen removed from any one tank from year to 
year. In the unplanted tanks these differences do not appear to be 
associated with any weather conditions shown in the monthly records. 
It is possible that conditions extending over shorter periods may have 
influenced the production of nitrates. In the case of the tanks filled with 
Dunkirk soil in the earlier experiments, the removal of nitrogen appeared 
to be influenced by the total yearly rainfall for the year beginning May 1, 
but this does not account so satisfactorily for the removal of nitrogen from 
the Volusia tanks. Future experiments may throw more light on these 
relations. 
Effect of liming on removal of nitrogen in crops 
One of the beneficial effects which lime frequently exerts on soil showing 
a lime requirement is to promote the formation of nitrates from organic 
nitrogenous compounds. Such action might be reflected in the nitrogen 
content of the*drainage water or in the nitrogen removed in the crops. 
The amount of nitrogen removed in the crops produced each year of the 
experiment is shown in table 12: 
TABLE 12. Nuirrocen 1x Crops, CALCULATED TO PouNDS PER ACRE BY YEARLY PERIODS 
Nitrogen in crops 
Burnt (pounds per acre) 
Tank lime 
Oats Peas Maize Oats | Barley 
1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | Lota 
—. ee None....| 34.98] 68.75 | 28.35 | 21.74| 18.79] 172.61 
ea 3,000....| 36.24] 94.86] 37.41| 24.93| 23.74] 217.18 
It is apparent from the data presented in table 12 that in every year the 
crops on the limed soil contained more nitrogen than did the crops on 
the soil that was not limed. This, of course, is not positive proof that lime 
increases the production of nitrates in this soil. as nitrogen may not be 
