i6 
ACTION OF LIME AS A MANURE. 
Comparative researches on the formation of nitric acid and 
ammonia from nitrogenous manures in dry land and paddy soils 
were carried out in conjunction with Mr. D. Sato in 1888, and 
some attention was given at the same time to the influence of 
lime on this process. A series of glass jars, 20 centimetres 
high and of a diameter of 15 centimetres were filled in March 
with soil which had been allowed to dry in the air only so far 
as not to involve any destruction of the micro-organisms, in 
order to separate the coarse rootlets with the help of sieves. 
The determination of the nitrogenous ingredients in the sifted 
samples gave the following results : 
Hygroscopic water . 
Humus and combined water ... 
Total nitrogen . 
Nitric acid. 
Ammonia . 
Nitrogen in organic compounds- 
Dry land 
soil. 
... 41.12 % 
... 14.06 „ 
... 0.231 ,, 
0.098 ,, 
0.009 >> 
... 0.198 ,, 
Paddy 
soil. 
42.12 % 
21.61 ,, 
°455 »» 
0.048 ,, 
0.024 ,, 
0.418 ,, 
Of the dry land soil 1600 grms., and of the paddy soil 1400 
grms. were used for each trial. Some of the jars received 
nitrogenous manures viz. ammonium sulphate and finely 
powdered fish manure and in some cases 50 grms. of freshly 
precipitated calcium carbonate. The content of nitrogen in the 
vessels (9 with dry land and 9 with paddy soil) at the begin¬ 
ning of the researches were as follows (in grams) : 
1) No manure . 
2) Ammonium sulphate 
3) Fish manure. 
4) Unmanured . 
5) Ammonium sulphate 
6) Fish manure . 
7) Ammonium sulphate 
8) Fish manure without lime 
9) Fish manure with lime ... 
Dry land soil. 
Paddy soil. 
3.702 
— 
6.366 
— 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2.100 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2.100 
3.702 
-— 
6.366 
— 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2 . IOO 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2.100 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2.100 
6.302 
2.600 
8.466 
2 . IOO 
6-302 
2.600 
8.466 
2.100 
