The: Fixation op Nitroge:n. 
23 
ANALYSES 
XXII 
XXIII 
XXIV 
Ground Water 
Ground Water 
Ground Water 
Laboratory 
Laboratory 
Laboratory 
No. 647 
No. 668 
No. 669 
Total solids in grains per 
Imp. Gal. 
. . . 883.54 
1052.29 
1076.81 
Percent 
Percent 
Percent 
Calcic sulfate . 
. . . 19.726 
14.318 
10.976 
Magnesic sulfate. 
. . . 22.618 
24.687 
30.105 
Magnesic carbonate . 
1.827 
Potassic sulfate . 
. . . 0.700 
0.967 
Potassic carbonate . 
0.715 
Potassic chlorid 
0.308 
Sodic sulfate. 
. .. 5.744 
11.060 
Sodic carbonate . 
, . . 2.431 
3.872 
Sodic chlorid . 
. . . 44.670 
40.405 
49.732 
Sodic silicate . 
. . . 0.869 
0.841 
0.149 
Manganic oxid (br) . 
. . . 0.097 
0.059 
Ignition . 
. .. (3.143) 
(3.850) 
(6.129) 
100.000 
100.000 
100.000 
There is not enough nitric acid in this alkali or in any of these 
soil extracts or water residues to give, when as much as one-half 
to one gram of the dry residue is taken, a satisfactory test with 
ferrous sulfate and sulfuric acid, and some of them give no reaction 
with diphenylamine and sulfuric acid. 
There is not another instance of the occurrence of nitre within 
this state which is so favorably located for justifying the theory 
of concentration from adjoining lands as this one and it is for this 
reason that I have set forth these facts pertaining to the composition 
of the alkali, the soils to a depth of three feet, the aqueous extracts 
made from these soils, and the solids held in solution by the ground 
waters. The results of the analyses show that even if the soil of 
Orchard No. 8 had been saturated with the ground waters which 
had drained through this area it would not, at this time, have 
become impregnated with nitrates but with sulfates and chlorids. 
These ground waters, however, do not saturate the nitre soil and 
it is a question whether they ever rise or in any other manner 
find their way into it and consequently cannot possibly account for 
the nitrates for two reasons; first, there was so good as no nitrates 
in either the soil lying to the north of this orchard or in the alkali 
which, in places, was abundant on its surface, or in the ground 
waters, which came near to the surface in parts of the area; second, 
because these ground waters do no find their way into this orchard 
soil which is underlaid by gravel and is well drained. 
A great deal has been said and somewhat written about alkali 
and seepage. I will remark in passing that while seepage and 
alkali usually accompany one another they constitute two distinct 
subjects. We have many examples of lands rich in alkali which 
are not now wet enough to be objectionable, and I shall in a sub¬ 
sequent bulletin give specific data which are the basis for the 
