144 The Colorado Experiment Station 
effects of the nitrates were: an increase in the size of the beet and 
the weight of the tops, a decrease in the percentage of sugar and 
dry substance in the beet by approximately one percent in each case. 
There was an increase of pure ash in the dry substance of from 7 
to 9 percent or more. There was a decided suppression of the phos¬ 
phoric acid in the beets. The potash was very high in the beets 
from both the treated and check plots, but it was nearly the same. 
These statements apply to both sets of samples, 12 Oct. and 8 Nov. 
The sodic oxid and chlorin were both increased, at least this was the 
rule. The total nitrogen showed an increase beginning in the 
variety Z R on 18 Aug. and in E R 14 Sept., and continued through¬ 
out the season. This increase in the samples of 8 Nov. was for 
E R 11.8 and for Z R 17.5 percent. 
This increase in the nitrogen is perhaps more evident in the 
press juice than in the beets for in this it is, for the variety E R 9.0 
and for Z R 18.0 percent. The ratio of albumin nitrogen was also 
reduced from 40 to an average of 34 percent. The injurious ash 
per 100 sugar, sampled 8 Nov., was increased from 12.0 to 16.0 
percent, while the injurious nitrogen per 100 sugar was increased in 
E R 34.0 and in Z R 52.0 percent. The nitric nitrogen in the beets 
on 8 Nov., showed an increase of 126.3 percent in E R and 90.5 per¬ 
cent in Z R. These particular effects can be due to no other causes 
than the excessive nitrate applied, for an analysis of the results ob¬ 
tained both with the leaves and the beets from the check plots, as 
well as the quantities of nitric nitrogen found in the fallow land 13 
Sept., corroborate our observations on the development of the beets, 
to the effect that the beets in the check plots had an abundant supply 
of this form of nitrogen. The beets did not at any time suffer from 
drought or from an attack of any enemy, and they were grown in 
an unusually long and favorable season. Further, the questions of 
seepage, offalkali and of any deficiency of plant food are completely 
eliminated by the location and properties of the land. The leaves 
were examined throughout the season and the results of these exam¬ 
inations alone serve to show how radical the effects of the nitrates 
must have been, for the nitric nitrogen in the blades of our check 
beets was unquestionable but it had completely disappeared by 29 
Sept., while it was very abundant in the blades of the nitre beets on 
12 Oct. The abundance and the persistence of this form of nitro¬ 
gen in the leaf stems is very striking. 
The effects of defoliation are, it is true, very marked, but they 
are not those produced by the nitrates. Those sufficiently interested 
will find a complete statement of the analytical results in analyses 
CLXIX to CLXXVI and CLXXVII to CLXXXVI, the former 
give the complete analyses of the beets normally developed, both 
with and without application of nitre, the latter give the complete 
