17 
Basic nitrogen in humus. 
In the orig- 
inal humus 
solution. 
Per cent of 
soil. 
Not pre- 
cipitated 
by HCl. 
(a). 
Per cent of 
soil. 
Precipita- 
ted l)v 11(1. 
(b). 
Per cent of 
soil. 
Total. 
Soil No. 
a + b. 
Percent of 
soil. 
Percent of 
total soil 
nitrogen. 
Per cent of 
total humus 
nitrogen. 
347 
0.028 
.027 
.017 
.015 
.021 
1.003 
1.004 
.011 
.014 
0.024 
.025 
.021 
.014 
.019 
.017 
.017 
.009 
.009 
0.010 
.010 
.007 
.009 
.006 
.017 
.008 
.008 
.017 
0.034 
.035 
.028 
.023 
.025 
.034 
.025 
.017 
.026 
2. 7 4 
4. SI 
4.73 
5.05 
7.06 
16.59 
11.36 
8.71 
21.31 
4.39 
428 
5.93 
379 
6.88 
406 
Ki. L8 
447 
LI. 63 
345 
23. 1 > 
343 
19.68 
405 
19.54 
292 
44.83 
1 There is apparently some error in these determinations. 
It was found that the basic nitrogen amounted to practically the 
same percentages when determined directly from the original humus 
solutions as were present in the filtrates from the hydrochloric acid 
precipitate. The amounts of basic nitrogen split off in the hydroly- 
sis of the precipitates were relatively smaller, as compared with the 
amid nitrogen, than were obtained in the filtrates. The total basic 
nitrogen, calculated to percentages of the total soil nitrogen, in- 
creased with a decrease in the amount of nitrogen in the soil, and 
when calculated to percentages of the total humus nitrogen the 
same relationships are even more marked. Soil No. 347, containing 
0.77 per cent humus nitrogen, yielded only 4.39 per cent of it as 
basic nitrogen, while soil No. 292, containing 0.058 per cent humus 
nitrogen, yielded 44.83 per cent of it as basic nitrogen. 
In view of the analytical error involved in the determination of the 
basic nitrogen, it is unsafe to generalize concerning the relatively 
great increases in the basic nitrogen of humus in passing from soils 
with large to soils of smaller humus nitrogen content. It seems 
probable, however, that hydrolysis took place during the alkali ex- 
traction process. 
XOXBASIC XITROGEX. 
It is obviously not permissible to consider the difference between 
the total nitrogen in humus and the amounts of amid and basic 
nitrogen that occur in the original humus solutions as nonbasic 
nitrogen, for the reason that these solutions can not be considered as 
having been completely hydrolyzed. It is well known, for example, 
that various proteins are quite soluble in alkalis without the proteins 
undergoing any particular hydrolysis, as they can be precipitated, 
in a more or less unaltered condition, from such solutions by the 
addition of acid. On the other hand, the nitrogen compounds in the 
filtrates obtained from the humus precipitated by dilute hydrochloric 
