Deterioration Sugar Beets Due to Nitrates 93 
from 45 to 50 feet and the length as stated. This was divided into 
three sections and composite samples representing the top and sec¬ 
ond two inches of soil taken. Each composite sample consisted of 
eight subordinate samples. The samples are numbered from the 
lower to the higher ground. 
Phosphoric 
Total 
Nitric 
Potash 
Acid 
Nitrogen 
Nitrogen 
Percent 
Percent 
Percent 
Percent 
I 
Top 2 inches.... 
. 1.163 
0.0765 
0.1480 
0.0280 
Second 2 inches. 
. 1.275 
0.1913 
0.1305 
0.0125 
II 
Top 2 inches.... 
. 0.874 
0.1244 
0.0920 
0.0050 
Second 2 inches. 
. 0.960 
0.1626 
0.0960 
0.0030 
III 
Top 2 inches.... 
. 1.024 
0.1626 
0.0970 
0.0040 
Second 2 inches. 
. 0.893 
0.1595 
0.0850 
0.0030 
So far as this 
analytical data is 
concrned the 
soil is, 
according 
to our standards, well supplied with potash and phosphoric acid, 
but is lacking in nitrogen. There is no other indication or proof of 
this except our analyses. The nitrogen determinations here given 
were made by the plain Kjeldahl and I have added the nitric nitro¬ 
gen found to obtain the total, this was all that remained for me to 
do. These determinations were made when the samples were taken 
and are the only ones that it is proper to use. The total nitrogen 
was recently redetermined in these samples now 20 months old, 
and there is an unquestionable increase in every instance. This in¬ 
crease is not uniform in amount, ranging from 80 to 500 p. p. 
m., but is sufficient to preclude the use of the recent determinations. 
These determinations were made with care, taking all usual pre¬ 
cautions and in duplicate so that I am not inclined to consider this 
increase due to analytical errors. We observe that the nitric nitro¬ 
gen varies from 3.13 to 18.93 percent of the total. These samples 
represent what we consider as soil of such quality and so condi¬ 
tioned that the owner was justified in cultivating it with the expecta¬ 
tion of obtaining at least an average crop. The extreme northern 
edge of this field was very bad and was very noticeable because the 
owner was trying to cultivate it, which made its condition more evi¬ 
dent. The surface became brown and mealy during the season. A 
surface sample of this soil showed that it was well provided with 
potash, 1.118 percent, and phosphoric acid, 0.380, and was very 
rich in nitrates and chlorids, about 30 percent of the water-soluble. 
The calcic oxid in this sample was 6.070 percent and the analysis of 
the water-soluble indicates that the sulfuric acid is wholly combined 
with lime. The citric acid soluble phosphoric acid amounted to 
0.023 percent. The analytical data indicated a soil well provided 
with potash and phosphoric acid, but decidedly low in total nitrogen, 
at the same time we see that the highest section of this land con- 
