Deterioration Sugar Beets Due to Nitrates i 17 
the production of molasses but I think that they are much more sig¬ 
nificant of the condition of the beets at harvest time and of the fact 
that the whole crop, represented by these samples of molasses, is 
very rich in nitric nitrogen. 
In a preceding paragraph reference was made to the results 
obtained by Prof. Renry in regard to the amount of nitrogen re¬ 
quired to grow 44 tons of beets with their tops, together with the 
distribution of this requirement in regard to time, I stated that I 
have made no adequate study of the amount of nitric nitrogen fur¬ 
nished by the soil at various times during the season. Mr. Zitkow- 
ski, however, made a study of this question in two fields and kindly 
placed his results at my disposal. Both fields were planted to beets 
and each had an abundant supply of irrigating water. The beets 
grown on Field A averaged 16.2 percent sugar, sampled 18 Sept., 
and those from Field B, sampled on the same date, averaged 12.6 
percent. The soil of Field A was very “alkaline,” 1.5 percent of 
the air-dried soil was soluble in water. The beets on 3 Oct. showed 
the presence of 16.0 to 17.0 percent of sugar. These fields were 
divided into sections and sampled to a depth of one foot from time 
to time. The results are given in the following table in parts per 
million. These data were obtained in the season of 1911. 
NITRIC NITROGEN IN SOIL ON VARIOUS DATES. 
Field A. 
Sampled.. 
4 Mar. 
2 June 
20 June 
27 June 
19 July 
9 Aug. 
25 Aug. 
I . 
4.9 
1.2 
12.5 
17.0 
8.5 
5.4 
2.5 
II . 
3.8 
37.0 
27.5 
28.0 
30.0 
22.2 
12.0 
Ill. 
5.8 
52.8 
15.0 
37.0 
34.0 
9.0 
6.2 
IV. 
4.6 
3.2 
30.0 
19.0 
11.5 
9.5 
2.7 
V . 
7.6 
4.8 
36.0 
15.0 
40.0 
35.5 
• • • 
VI . 
3.8 
8.8 
31.5 
27.0 
35.0 
11.1 
• • • 
VII . 
10.8 
7.5 
12.0 
130.0 
15.5 
67.0 
9.2 
Field 
H. 
Sampled.. 
4 Mar. 
2 June 
20 June 
27 June 
19 July 
9 Aug. 
25 Aug. 
I . 
10.9 
112.0 
23.0 
20.0 
59.0 
52.0 
105.0 
II . 
10.1 
32.0 
22.0 
16.0 
40.0 
6.5 
101.0 
Ill . 
10.7 
87.0 
136.0 
141.0 
6.0 
16.0 
103.0 
IV. 
10.6 
109.0 
24.0 
130.0 
8.0 
3.1 
47.0 
V . 
20.5 
69.0 
14.0 
96.0 
8.0 
6.5 
333.0 
VI . 
• • • 
• • • 
• • • 
• • • 
, . • 
286.0 
VII . 
6.1 
4.1 
15.0 
43.0 
52.0 
10.5 
251.0 
VIII . . . . 
15.3 
6.7 
87.0 
90.0 
15.0 
30.5 
• . • • 
I have no detailed statement of the meteorological conditions 
preceding the taking of the samples nor am I certain that the beets 
were of the same variety, though it is probable that they were. Be 
this as it may, it is certain that no variety with a normal sugar con¬ 
tent of 12.6 percent was used. The object in stating these facts, 
however, is primarily to show how large the quantities of nitric 
nitrogen in our beet fields under good cultivation may be and how 
it varies from time to time. These fields were not examined fur- 
