Chapter III
Appendix to
NOTE I. (p. 119).
Determinations of the Quantity of Nitrogen supplied by Rain, as Ammonia and Nitric Acid, to an Acre of Land, during One Year.
(From Dr Fream’s ‘Soils and their Properties,’ p. 62.)
| Nitrogen per | |||||
| million, as | Total | ||||
| Nitric | Nitrogen | ||||
| Year. | Rainfall. | Ammonia. | Acid. | per acre. | |
| lb. | |||||
| Kuschen | 1864-65 | 11.85 | 0.54 | 0.16 | 1.86 |
| Kuschen | 1865-66 | 17.70 | 0.44 | 0.16 | 2.50 |
| Insterburg | 1864-65 | 27.55 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 5.49 |
| Insterburg | 1865-66 | 23.79 | 0.76 | 0.49 | 6.81 |
| Dahme | 1865 | 17.09 | 1.42 | 0.30 | 6.66 |
| Regenwalde | 1864-65 | 23.48 | 2.03 | 0.80 | 15.09 |
| Regenwalde | 1865-66 | 19.31 | 1.88 | 0.48 | 10.38 |
| Regenwalde | 1866-67 | 25.37 | 2.28 | 0.56 | 16.44 |
| Ida-Marienhütte, | |||||
| mean of six years | 1865-70 | 22.65 | — | — | 9.92 |
| Proskau | 1864-65 | 17.81 | 3.21 | 1.73 | 20.91 |
| Florence | 1870 | 36.55 | 1.17 | 0.44 | 13.36 |
| Florence | 1871 | 42.48 | 0.81 | 0.22 | 9.89 |
| Florence | 1872 | 50.82 | 0.82 | 0.26 | 12.51 |
| Vallombrosa | 1872 | 79.83 | 0.42 | 0.15 | 10.38 |
| Montsouris, Paris | 1877-78 | 23.62 | 1.91 | 0.24 | 11.54 |
| Montsouris, Paris | 1878-79 | 25.79 | 1.20 | 0.70 | 11.16 |
| Montsouris, Paris | 1879-80 | 15.70 | 1.36 | 1.60 | 10.52 |
| Mean of | |||||
| 22 years | 27.63 | — | — | 10.23 | |
NOTE II. (p. 122).
Nitrogen in Soils at Various Depths.
(1) Rothamsted Soils.
| Depth. | Arable soil. | Old pasture soil. | ||
| per cent. | lb. per acre. | per cent. | lb. per acre. | |
| 1st 9 inches | 0.120 | 3,015 | 0.245 | 5,351 |
| 2d 9 inches | 0.068 | 1,629 | 0.082 | 2,313 |
| 3d 9 inches | 0.059 | 1,461 | 0.053 | 1,580 |
| 4th 9 inches | 0.051 | 1,228 | 0.046 | 1,412 |
| 5th 9 inches | 0.045 | 1,090 | 0.042 | 1,301 |
| 6th 9 inches | 0.044 | 1,131 | 0.039 | 1,186 |
| Total, 54 inches | — | 9,554 | — | 13,143 |
| 7th 9 inches | 0.042 | 1,049 | — | — |
| 8th 9 inches | 0.041 | 1,095 | — | — |
| 9th 9 inches | 0.044 | 1,173 | — | — |
| 10th 9 inches | 0.043 | 1,076 | — | — |
| 11th 9 inches | 0.043 | 1,112 | — | — |
| 12th 9 inches | 0.045 | 1,198 | — | — |
| Total, 9 feet | — | 16,257 | — | — |
(2) Manitoba Soils.
| Depth. | Brandon. | Niverville. | Winnipeg. | Selkirk. |
| per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | |
| 1st foot | 0.187 | 0.261 | 0.428 | 0.618 |
| 2d foot | 0.109 | 0.169 | 0.327 | 0.264 |
| 3d foot | 0.072 | 0.069 | 0.158 | 0.076 |
| 4th foot | 0.019 | 0.038 | 0.107 | 0.042 |
NOTE III. (p. 130).
Nitrogen as Nitrates in Cropped Soils receiving no Nitrogenous Manure, in Lb. per Acre (Rothamsted Soils).
| Wheat. | ||||||
| After | After | Bokhara | White | |||
| fallow, | clover, | clover, | Vetches, | Lucern, | clover, | |
| Depth. | 1883. | 1883. | 1882. | 1883. | 1885. | 1885. |
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| 1st 9 inches | 3.4 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 10.2 | 8.9 | 11.5 |
| 2d 9 inches | 3.1 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| 3d 9 inches | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| 4th 9 inches | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| 5th 9 inches | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
| 6th 9 inches | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 11.3 |
| 7th 9 inches | 0.8 | 2.2 | — | 4.5 | 0.6 | 13.1 |
| 8th 9 inches | 0.9 | 1.7 | — | 4.9 | 0.8 | 12.6 |
| 9th 9 inches | 0.7 | 2.4 | — | 4.8 | 0.7 | 11.2 |
| 10th 9 inches | 2.0 | 2.1 | — | 5.1 | 0.6 | 10.7 |
| 11th 9 inches | 1.5 | 2.1 | — | 6.4 | 0.4 | 11.1 |
| 12th 9 inches | 3.8 | 2.8 | — | 6.5 | 0.4 | 10.0 |
NOTE IV. (p. 124 and p. 131).
Nitrogen as Nitrates in Wheat-soils variously manured, October 1881, in Lb. per Acre (Rothamsted Soils).
| Excess | ||||||
| Total | over | |||||
| 1st 9 | 2nd 9 | 3rd 9 | 27 | plots | ||
| Plot. | Manuring. | inches. | inches. | inches. | inches. | 3 and 4. |
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | ||
| 3 | No manure, 38 years | 9.7 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 17.8 | — |
| 4 | No manure, 30 years | 9.2 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 15.0 | — |
| 16a | No manure, 17 years | 10.6 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 17.9 | 1.5 |
| 5a | Ash constituents, 30 years | 12.6 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 24.3 | 7.9 |
| 17a | Ash constituents, 1 year | 10.3 | 7.5 | 3.4 | 21.2 | 4.8 |
| 6a | Ash and ammonium salts, 200 lb. | 16.5 | 7.5 | 4.7 | 28.7 | 12.3 |
| 7a | Ash and ammonium salts, 400 lb. | 22.8 | 11.3 | 5.7 | 39.8 | 23.4 |
| 8a | Ash and ammonium salts, 600 lb. | 21.1 | 13.9 | 7.8 | 42.8 | 26.4 |
| 9a | Ash and sodium nitrate, 550 lb. | 19.7 | 10.0 | 8.2 | 37.9 | 21.5 |
| 9b | Sodium nitrate, 550 lb. | 16.3 | 20.1 | 17.7 | 54.1 | 37.7 |
| 10a | Ammonium salts, 400 lb. | 14.2 | 11.9 | 7.3 | 33.4 | 17.0 |
| 11a | Superphosphate and ammonium salts, 400 lb. | 17.9 | 9.3 | 3.6 | 30.8 | 14.4 |
| 19 | Rape-cake, 1700 lb. | 14.1 | 13.0 | 7.1 | 34.2 | 17.8 |
| 2 | Farmyard manure, 14 tons—38years | 30.0 | 15.4 | 6.8 | 52.2 | 35.8 |
Nitrogen as Nitrates in Barley-soils variously manured, March 1892, in Lb. per Acre (Rothamsted Soils).
| Excess | ||||||
| Total | over | |||||
| 1st 9 | 2d 9 | 3d 9 | 27 | plot | ||
| Plot. | Manuring. | inches. | inches. | inches. | inches. | 10 |
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | ||
| 10 | No manure | 5.9 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 15.1 | — |
| 20-40 | Ash constituents (mean) | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 20.1 | 4.4 |
| 1A | Ammonium salts, 200 lb. | 6.1 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 21.4 | 5.7 |
| 2A-4A | Ammonium and ash constituents (mean) | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 23.1 | 7.4 |
| 1AA | Sodium nitrate, 275 lb. | 9.7 | 6.8 | 9.0 | 25.5 | 9.8 |
| 2AA-4AA | Sodium nitrate and ash constituents (mean) | 8.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 23.2 | 7.5 |
| 1C | Rape-cake, 1000 lb. | 10.6 | 13.7 | 7.9 | 32.2 | 16.5 |
| 2C-4C | Rape-cake and ash constituents (mean) | 8.8 | 11.9 | 8.7 | 29.4 | 13.7 |
| 7-1 | No manure, 10 years—formerly dung | 14.8 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 37.5 | 21.8 |
| 7-2 | Farmyard manure, 14 tons | 18.6 | 14.6 | 10.9 | 44.1 | 28.4 |
NOTE V. (p. 134).
Examples of Increase of Nitrogen in Rothamsted Soils laid down in Pasture.
| Age of | Nitrogen in | |
| pasture. | 1st 9 inches. | |
| Years. | Per cent. | |
| Arable land | — | 0.140 |
| Barn-field pasture | 8 | 0.151 |
| Apple-tree pasture | 18 | 0.174 |
| Dr Gilbert’s meadow | 21 | 0.204 |
| Dr Gilbert’s meadow | 30 | 0.241 |
NOTE VI. (p. 141).
In connection with the loss by drainage of nitrogen in the form of nitrates, it may be mentioned that the water of many of the famous rivers contains large quantities of nitrates. Thus the water of the Seine has been found to contain fifteen parts of nitrates per million of water, and the Rhine eight parts per million. Some idea of what this amounts to per annum may be obtained by the statement that “the Rhine discharges daily 220 tons of saltpetre into the ocean, the river Seine 270, and the Nile 1100 tons.”—(Storer’s Agric. Chem., vol. i. p. 318.)
NOTE VII. (p. 142).
Examples of Decrease of Nitrogen in Rothamsted Soils.
| Nitrogen in | |
| 1st 9 inches. | |
| Per cent. | |
| Old pasture | 0.250 |
| Arable land in ordinary culture | 0.140 |
| Wheat unmanured, 38 years | 0.105 |
| Wheat and fallow unmanured, 31 years | 0.096 |
| Barley unmanured, 30 years | 0.093 |
| Turnips unmanured, 25 years | 0.085 |
Manuring, Produce of Wheat, and Alteration in the Composition of the Soil in Broadbalk Field, Rothamsted, from 1865 to 1881.
| Average | Nitrogen per acre | |||||
| produce | in 1st 9 inches | |||||
| per acre. | of soil. | |||||
| Gain or | ||||||
| Manures per acre, annually | Dressed | Total | loss in | |||
| Plot. | applied, 16 years, 1865-81. | grain. | produce. | 1865. | 1881. | 16 years. |
| bush. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | ||
| 3 | Unmanured | 11-7/8 | 1715 | 2507 | 2404 | - 103 |
| 5a | Mixed mineral manure | 12-3/4 | 1963 | 2574 | 2328 | - 246 |
| 10a | Ammonium salts, 400 lb. | 17-7/8 | 2881 | 2548 | 2471 | - 77 |
| 11a | Ammonium salts, with superphosphate | 23-1/4 | 3856 | 2693 | 2676 | - 17 |
| 7a | Ammonium salts, with mixed mineral manure | 28 | 4993 | 2829 | 2908 | + 79 |
| 9a | Nitrate of soda, 550 lb., and mixed mineral manure | 36 | 6949 | 2834 | 2883 | + 49 |
| 16a | Unmanured* | 13-1/2 | 2194 | 2907 | 2557 | - 350 |
| 2 | Farmyard manure, 14 tons | 31-1/2 | 5356 | 4329 | 4502 | + 173 |
| * During 1852-64 received annually ammonium salts, 800 lb., with mixed mineral manure, and yielded an average product of 39-1/2 bushels of grain and 46-5/8 cwt. of straw. | ||||||
NOTE VIII. (p. 141).
Amount of Drainage and Nitrogen as Nitrates in Drainage-water from unmanured Bare Soil, 20 and 60 inches deep—average of Thirteen Years.
| Nitrogen per acre | |||||||
| Amount of | Per million | ||||||
| drainage | of water | Per acre. | |||||
| 20-inch | 60-inch | 20-inch | 60-inch | 20-inch | 60-inch | ||
| Rainfall. | gauge. | gauge. | gauge. | gauge. | gauge. | gauge. | |
| Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | lb. | lb. | |||
| March | 1.70 | 0.85 | 0.94 | 7.3 | 8.9 | 1.41 | 1.89 |
| April | 2.25 | 0.72 | 0.79 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 1.35 | 1.61 |
| May | 2.48 | 0.80 | 0.79 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 1.53 | 1.63 |
| June | 2.59 | 0.78 | 0.78 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 1.62 | 1.60 |
| July | 2.85 | 0.68 | 0.62 | 13.5 | 11.8 | 2.08 | 1.66 |
| August | 2.69 | 0.84 | 0.76 | 15.1 | 13.3 | 2.87 | 2.28 |
| September | 2.70 | 0.97 | 0.82 | 17.7 | 13.4 | 3.86 | 2.50 |
| October | 3.12 | 1.86 | 1.68 | 13.8 | 11.9 | 5.83 | 4.53 |
| November | 3.20 | 2.44 | 2.32 | 11.8 | 11.4 | 6.50 | 5.98 |
| December | 2.34 | 1.88 | 1.88 | 9.5 | 10.6 | 4.06 | 4.51 |
| January | 2.13 | 1.79 | 1.93 | 7.4 | 8.9 | 2.99 | 3.88 |
| February | 2.16 | 1.84 | 1.74 | 7.7 | 9.1 | 3.19 | 3.57 |
| March-June | 9.02 | 3.15 | 3.30 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 5.91 | 6.73 |
| July-September | 8.24 | 2.49 | 2.20 | 15.6 | 13.0 | 8.81 | 6.44 |
| October-Feb. | 12.95 | 9.81 | 9.55 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 22.57 | 22.47 |
| Whole year | 30.21 | 15.45 | 15.05 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 37.29 | 35.64 |