484 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV, No. 6 
Table VIII. —Showing amount of ^ normal alkaline solution required to neutralize 
acidity of 100 cc. water from lo-day cultures of surface and deep peat from University 
Marshy and northern acid peat; also its equivalent in grams of free lime per liter 
Water sample 
(lo-day culture). 
It normal 
solution 
used. 
Equivalent 
per liter 
to CaO. 
Surface peat (a). 
cc. 
O- 55 
.60 
. AC 
Gm. 
0. 0110 
. 0120 
Do(b).. 
«:-inch peat (a). 
Do (b). 
. CO 
. 0090 
. 0100 
. ICCO 
Northern acid peat (a). 
6. 75 
6. 80 
Do (b).. 
. 1360 
TESTS WITH lO-DAY CULTURES 
Duplicate bottles were prepared containing 2 gm. each of new tile 
and to each was added 400 cc. of distilled water. The same was done 
with carbonated water, marginal water, bog water, surface, deep peat, 
and northern peat culture. These were immediately tightly stoppered, 
placed in a shaker machine, and agitated continuously 54 hours. 
It will be noted that only the northern peat water was in sufficient 
quantity to neutralize the free alkali in the 2 gm. of tile. This was 
further indicated by the rate of settling of the solids held in suspension. 
While all the other bottles, even the carbonated water, settled over¬ 
night, the acid peat water was still turbid after 3 days and showed 
distinct layers of colloidial material slowly settling in the liquid above 
the sediment in the bottom. 
Hall (6) has shown that the alkali earth, particularly the carbonates, 
have a strong flocculating action assisting in the deposition of sediments. 
The results just obtained indicate that the products of organic decay have 
an even more powerful effect in retaining them in suspension. 
Table IX. —Residue left after treating 2 gm. of tile with 400 cc. of water as in Tables I 
and VIII {agitated 54 hours and settled 14 hours) 
400 cc. of— 
Distilled water (a). 
Do (b). 
Carbonated water (a)... 
Do(b). 
Winter waters: 
Marginal water (a).. 
Do(b). 
Bog water (a). 
Do (b). 
lo-day cultures: 
Surface peat (a).... 
Do(b). 
Peat 5 feet deep (a) 
Do(b). 
Northern peat ^ (a). 
Do (b).... 
Weight of 
tile used. 
Weight of 
residue. 
Soluble. 
Increase. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
Per cent. 
Per cent. 
2 
I. 8796 
6. 02 
2 
1.8532 
7 - 34 
2 
1.8983 
5.08 
2 
I. 8727 
6.36 
2 
2. 0270 
1-35 
2 
2. 002 
.01 
2 
2. 0100 
• 50 
2 
2. 0119 
•559 
2 
2. 0965 
4. 82 
2 
2. 0960 
4. 80 
2 
2. 0090 
•45 
2 
I. 8948 
5. 26 
2 
2. 2007 
10.03 
2 
2. 0885 
4. 12 
^ The duplicates of the last two pairs showed distinct differences in the color of their filtrates; the darker 
filtrate passing through much more rapidly, possibly due to a thinner filter, and carrying colloidal material 
with it. 
