14 
The Effect of Climate and Weather on the Soil. 
At the beginning of the spring, in February, the amount of 
nitrate was less in 1913 than in 1912 because of the very wet 
winter. By May, however, matters had greatly improved, 
and already 1913 showed a great advantage over 1912 so that 
there was now a stock of nitrate 174 lb larger than in 1912- 
This advantage was kept throughout the season, and . 
September, 1913, there had been a still further increase m 
the stock, so that it now stands at 378 lb., while m 1912 the 
had been a decrease and it fell to 114 lb., making a difference 
of 264 lb. in favour of the dry summer. 
This is not merely a question of academic interest , it is 
of supreme practical importance. Reckoning the farmers year 
as beginning in October, we see that the summer fallow m the 
drv season of 1913 left him with as much nitrate m the top 
18 inches of soil as is contained in 378 lb. of nitrate of soda, 
while after the wet season of 1912 he only had 114 lb. ow 
this nitrate represents some of his working capital, for it was 
partly to gain nitrate that the fallow was_ undertaken 
Here is another table showing the nitrate present on other 
plots at the beginning of October in the two years. In these 
cases the plots had been cropped during the previous season, 
but the crops had been removed as early as possible and tie 
land subjected to as near a bastard, fallow as we can get m 
our circumstances. Here again it is seen that after the wet 
summer of 1912 there was less nitrate left with which to 
Broadbalk plots. 
Dunged 
Un manured 
Plot 2 
Plot 3 
314 
208 
240 
126 
74 
82 
Nitrate present in top 18 in., Sept. 
1913, after dry summer 
Nitrate present in top 18 in., Sept. 
1912, after wet summer . 
Difference in favour of dry sum- 
mer reckoned as nitrate of soda, 
lb. per acre • 
H 003 wheat 
unmanured 
198 
96 
102 
The important point I want to emphasise is that the amount 
of nitrate in a soil at the beginning of the farmers’ year- in 
October depends very much on the character of the preceding 
lit has already been pointed out that this spring formation of nitrate does 
not depend on any one factor but on several, and it is particularly interesting 
to note that the rainfall during the four months February-May was practically 
the same in the two years, viz. 8 - 14 in. in 1912 and 8'49 m. m 1913. This 
shows that rainfall alone does not decide the matter. 
