e, and when applied along with nitrate,
ensures its more speedy diffusion in the soil, by increasing the soil's
capacity for absorbing moisture from the air.

_Must be a Sufficiency of other Fertilising Constituents._

A third point of importance in applying nitrate of soda, is to see that
the soil is sufficiently supplied with the other plant-foods--phosphates
and potash. This is a _sine qua non_, if the nitrate is to get a fair
chance. If it is desired to apply nitrate of soda along with
superphosphate of lime, a word of caution is necessary against making
the mixture long before it is used. The reason of this is, that a
chemical action is apt to ensue, resulting in the loss of the nitric
acid in the nitrate of soda. The nature of the soil is another important
consideration to be taken into account. In the case of extremely loose
and sandy soils, it is scarcely to be recommended as the most suitable
form in which to apply nitrogen. If applied to such soils, especial care
ought to be taken to minimise risk of loss. No hard-and-fast rules can
be laid down as to the quantity in which it ought to be applied. This
must be regulated very much by the crop, the nature of the soil, and
the quantity of other manures employed. From 1 to 1-1/4 cwt. may be
recommended as a suitable quantity for corn crops which are otherwise
liberally manured. On strong clay soils this quantity may be judiciously
increased up to 2 cwt. Dr Bernard Dyer, who has experimented largely on
its use as a manure for mangolds, is of opinion that an application of
from 3 to 4 cwt. an acre is likely to prove thoroughly profitable; and
the present writer has found in his experiments with turnips that a
top-dressing of 1 cwt. amply repaid itself.

_Conclusions drawn._

In conclusion, the nature and characteristics of nitrate of soda as a
manure may be briefly summed up as follows:--

1. It is a whitish, crystalline salt, extremely soluble, and is quickly
diffused in the soil. It should contain 95 per cent of pure nitrate of
soda--_i.e._, 15-1/2 per cent of nitrogen, equal to about 19 per cent of
ammonia.

2. Next to sulphate of ammonia, it is the most concentrated nitrogenous
manure; the relative quantities of nitrogen these two manures contain
being as three is to four.

3. It contains its nitrogen in the most valuable and readily assimilable
form--_i.e._, as _nitric acid_, the form into which all other forms of
nitrogen have first to be converted