48 
Colorado Experiment Station 
SUMMARY 
The study of this setion leads us to the recognition oT a 
rather large area south and east of Wellington throughou^ 
which nitrates occur abundantly in the surface soil. 
That there is another smaller, and, at the present time 
a less important occurrence, in the Dry Creek section south and 
west of Waverly. 
That the waters of shallow wells and the surface soils are 
closely related in regard to the nitric nitrogen present in them. 
That there is not any abnormally large amount of nitric 
nitrogen in the soil of the district outside of the nitre-area. 
That shallow wells outside of these areas do not contain 
any abnormal quantities of nitric nitrogen. 
That the waters from deep wells, even when either sunk 
through or adjacent to areas very rich in nitric nitrogen, are 
free from it and would not, even if they should find egress at 
this or any other point, bring nitric nitrogen to the surrace. 
That the composition of the salts held in solution in the 
deep well-waters differs from that of those held in the ground- 
waters; the former holds essentially sulfates of soda and lime, 
while the latter carry nitrates and sulfates of magnesia and 
soda, with some calcic sulfate. 
That the extracts of soil samples taken from these areas are 
characterized by the presence of much magnesia, high nitric 
acid, low sulfuric acid, low lime and low soda. 
That the amount of potash in these extracts is uniformly 
high, from 0.7 to upwards of 2.0 percent of the total soluble 
portion. 
That the ground-waters and the soluble portion of the soil, 
even when associated with effloresced ^Vhite alkali^’ are very 
rich in magnesic salts. 
That the ground-waters derive their nitrates from the soil 
and the amount is determined by local conditions. 
That calcic and magnesic chlorids occur in considerable 
abundance in some of the soil extracts, but the explanation of 
this fact is not apparent. 
That the surface soil, especially at the edges of these nitre- 
areas, has a very high capacitv for fixing nitrogen. 
That the facts that we have been able to ascertain sujiport 
the view that the nitrates occurring in this area have no source 
outside of the area and on the surface. Further, that there is 
no source beneath the area from which they are deiuved. With- 
in this area the nitrates are formed in situ, a view that 1 have 
elsewhere maintained for other sections. 
