486 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV, No. 6 
Tabl]^ XII. —Summary of Tables X and XI, showing acidity of lo-day cultures equiva¬ 
lent to grams of free lime per liter of water 
Sample taken. 
* 
Original state. 
CaO equivalent. 
Surface peat (a). 
Faintly acid . 
lo-day 
culture. 
0. 0110 
. 0120 
. 0090 
. 0100 
• 1350 
. 1360 
20-day 
culture. 
0. Oi^QO 
. 0630 
. 0700 
. 0660 
Do(b). 
....do. 
Peat 5 feet deep (a). 
Alkaline... 
Do (b). 
Northern peat (a). 
Acid. 
Do (b). 
During the late winter of 1922, with the assistance of Mr. R. C. Reck, 
chemist of the drainage laboratory, University Farm, St. Paul, a series 
of determinations were run, using peat solutions derived from Coon Creek 
peat, which was alkaline. Distilled water was put on a quantity of the 
deeper peat from the Coon Creek experimental tracts. The water was 
tested one-half hour after being put on the peat, again at 10 days, and 
again after 30 days, the 30-day test water being free from carbonic acid. 
The results of the tests, in which methyl orange was used as an indicator, 
are given in Table XIII. 
TablK XIII. —Determinations of relative alkalinity or acidity of water from Coon Creek 
peat at different ages 
Age of test water. 
Test No. 
Amotmt 
taken. 
~ solution 
30 
used. 
CaO 
equivalent 
per liter. 
cc. 
Gm, 
Gm. 
ist day. 
I 
25 
0. 52 
0. 0292 
Do. 
2 
50 
I. 04 
. 0292 
loth day. 
I 
Neut. 
Do. 
2 
Neut. 
30th day. 
I 
25 
.40 
. 0224 
Do. 
2 
25 
•35 
. 0196 
In order to ascertain if any effect were produced on the concrete tile 
by a weak solution of organic acid free from carbonic acid alternating 
with carbonic acid, 2 liters of the peat solution were taken and air 
passed through for 24 hours. The air was first drawn through moist 
sodium hydroxid to eliminate COj. The water was then tested for acid, 
with results given in Table XIII. Two flasks were then taken and 400 
cc. of the peat water placed in each. One gram of oven-dry, powdered 
tile was then added to each bottle. The bottles were then corked and 
agitated for 48 hours. The solutions were then filtered on weighed 
ashless filters and the residues dried and weighed. The residues, which 
were not removed from the filter, were replaced in the flasks and to each 
was added 400 cc. of distilled water containing pure carbonic acid. 
This carbonic acid water was tested and found to beo.oi6 normal strength. 
The solutions were then agitated for 24 hours and the residue dried and 
weighed. The residue was then treated again with peat water and 
carbonic acid water, agitating 24 hours. The results are tabulated in 
Table XIV. 
