Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. IX, No. 7 
I98 
Table VIII .—Nitrification of dried blood and green manures in Citrus Experiment Station 
soils, Riverside, Cal. November 4, 1914 
[Results expressed as milligrams of nitrogen per 100 gm. of soil] 
Material added. 
Con¬ 
stituent. 
Plot U. 
Plot F. 
Plot H. 
Incubation period. 
• Incubation period. 
Incubation period. 
*4 
days. 
28 
days. 
A 43 
days. 
a 14 
days. 
28 
days. 
A 43 
days. 
a 14 
days. 
28 
days. 
A 43 
days. 
Dried blood (1 
Ammonia. 
17. 22 
18.34 
16.66 
43 - 54 
47 - 74 
28.98 
47.88 
49 - 70 
40.88 
per cent). 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
30.24 
37 * 35 
49 - 56 
— .40 
.00 
2.94 
- .84 
— 3. 22 
- 1.68 
Sweet corn (2 per 
Ammonia. 
.14 
.00 
.00 
- .28 
— -56 
.00 
.92 
X. 12 
.. *56 
cent). 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
— 1.40 
5. 29 
4.34 
— X. 10 
5.18 
4.90 
— 1. 54 
— 4.08 
2* 38 
Field com (2 per 
Ammonia. 
- .28 
.70 
.00 
- .14 
.00 
2.52 
.42 
.OO 
.28 
cent). 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
- X -54 
.67 
4.76 
.96 
1. 58 
2. xo 
Lost. 
— 5. 60 , 
X. 12 
Sorghum (a per 
Ammonia. 
— .35 
• 00 
x. 26 
— .00 
.X 4 
.14 
.28 
. 70 
.28 
cent). 
. 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
— X. 12 
. XT 
.98 
- 1-24 
.28 
- ,84 
— 1.40 
- 3 - 78 
— I.40 
Alfalfa (a per 
Ammonia. 
3*36 
1.40 
x.40 
6. 03 
2. 80 
4.06 
XI. 20 
St 46 
3 - 36 
cent/* 
Do.. 
Nitrates... 
X8.34 
23-35 
2S. 84 
6.46 
12.04 
11.62 
3 - 78 
3.92 
13 - 72 
Water only. 
Ammonia. 
x. 40 
1. 26 
i -54 
1.26 
x. 26 
X. 26 
X. X2 
• 70 
1.12 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
X.96 
3-25 
2.40 
1.66 
3. 22 
2. 38 
X.96 
2.60 
2.66 
Plot B. 
Plot C. 
Plot E. 
Dried blood (1 
Ammonia. 
45 * 5 ° 
49. 28 
39 -o 6 
28. 56 
29.82 
22. 26 
43 - 4 © 
35 -14 
26.32 
per cent). 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
- .70 
— 3*12 
. 00 
7.28 
17.08 
18.68 
4. 20 
17 . 22 
16.16 
Sweet com (a per 
Ammonia. 
‘56 
• 56 
— .70 
• 56 
• OO 
. OO 
OO 
. OO 
- .28 
cent). 
Do . 
Nitrates.. , 
— • 14 
• 56 
3 * 71 
— 1.96 
3-64 
2 - 59 
- .84 
- x. 68 
— x.40 
Field com (2 per 
Ammonia . 
.21 
— .04 
- .84 
. 28 
.OO 
— .07 
- .28 
- .28 
. 14 
cent). 
Do.... . 
Nitrates. .. 
— .14 
— 4.06 
x- 75 
— 1.96 
2.66 
.14 
- .84 
— . 14 
x. 26 
Sorghum (2 per 
cent)* 
Ammonia . 
. 21 
- .42 
- .28 
•42 
•56 
.98 
— .42 
• 14 
- .84 
Do* . 
Nitrates. .. 
- .14 
— 2.16 
- .77 
— x.96 
.14 
- 2.38 
— .70 
— I. 12 
— x.96 
Alfalfa (2 per 
Ammonia . 
13-44 
5- 60 
3. 22 
4-76 
3 - 50 
2.10 
4.06 
3 - 50 
x. 68 
cent). 
Do. 
Nitrates... 
a -94 
16. 24 
13-30 
6.16 
12.32 
14. 28 
3 - 78 
18.62 
14.14 
Water only.. .... 
Ammonia. 
. 70 
X. X2 
1.38 
.84 
.98 
x. 26 
x. 40 
I. 26 
1. 24 
Do. 
Nitrates.. . 
• 56 
3-16 
X. II 
2. 52 
2. 52 
3.08 
I- 54 
3 - 78 
2. 80 
The addition of 1 per cent of dried blood caused a marked increase in 
ammonia in all of the soils. At the conclusion of the six weeks' incuba¬ 
tion period, from 12.14 to 29.80 per cent of the nitrogen added as dried 
blood was recovered as ammonia. Nitrification proceeded rapidly dur¬ 
ing the first 14 days in soil U and somewhat slower in soils C and E, 
while soils B, F, and H showed a slight reduction in nitrates at this time. 
Soils B and H showed no increase in nitric nitrogen over the control at 
any time during the experiment and the gain in soil F amounted to only 
2.94 mgm. The only soil in which the amount of nitric nitrogen exceeds 
the amount of ammonia recovered from the soil is soil U, and in this 
soil only 36.12 per cent of the nitrogen added in dried blood was recovered 
as nitrates. A large part of the nitrogen added as dried blood was 
apparently lost in all of the soils. 
