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Updated: April 30, 2025
The nitrification of the urine had evidently proceeded until the whole of the ammonium had been changed into ammonium nitrate, and the action had then ceased. This fact is of practical importance. Sewage will be thoroughly nitrified only when a sufficient supply of calcium carbonate, or some other base, is available.
Sodium carbonate begins to have a retarding influence on the commencement of nitrification when its amount exceeds 300 milligrammes per liter, and up to the present time I have been unable to produce an effective nitrification in solutions containing 1.000 gramme per liter. Sodium hydrogen carbonate hinders far less the commencement of nitrification.
Small quantities of soil were taken from freshly-cut surfaces on the sides of these pits at depths varying from 2 inches to 8 feet. The soil removed was at once transferred to a sterilized solution of diluted urine, which was afterward examined from time to time to ascertain if nitrification took place.
This oxidation of ammonia compounds is brought about, as has been shown by Messrs. Schloesing and Muntz, by a special ferment, the Micrococcus nitrificans, that belongs to the group of Bacteriacæ. In fact, the vapors of chloroform, which anesthetize plants, also prevent nitrification, since they anaesthetize the nitric ferment.
Though detectable amounts of free nitric acid do not accumulate during this process of nitrification, the soluble nitrate or final product is formed by the action of nitric acid upon a mineral base, such as calcium, magnesium, or potassium, which may have been in the soil in insoluble form, so that the nitrogen must pass through the form of nitric acid in the transformation into nitrates.
In addition to the pleasure of your company, I confess that I am mightily interested in this subject; and I would like especially to get a clear understanding of that nitrification process, and we've not had time to discuss the potash and 'phosphoric acid, which I know cost some of our farmers a good part of all they get for their crops, and still their lands are as poor as ever."
In both these series the soil taken from 2 inches, 9 inches, and 18 inches from the surface has been proved to contain the nitrifying organism by the fact that it has produced nitrification in the solutions to which it was added; while in twelve distinct experiments made with soil from greater depths no nitrification has yet occurred, and we must therefore conclude that the nitrifying organism was not present in the samples of soil taken.
In this state it is well fitted to retain moisture and to absorb all soluble substances, as well as for the process of nitrification. The bones of dead animals, the harder parts of insects, the shells of land- molluscs, leaves, twigs, &c., are before long all buried beneath the accumulated castings of worms, and are thus brought in a more or less decayed state within reach of the roots of plants.
Nitrification in soils and waters is found to be strictly limited to the range of temperature within which the vital activity of living ferments is confined.
Recent experiments at Rothamsted show that in the absence of phosphates no nitrification will occur. Further proof of the ferment theory is afforded by the fact that antiseptics are fatal to nitrification. In the presence of a small quantity of chloroform, carbon bisulphide, salicylic acid, and apparently also phenol, nitrification entirely ceases. The action of heat is equally confirmatory.
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