though he knew the organic matter and the nitrogen must be very low
in the poor soils, but nowhere was any such record to be found in
the bulletin. He found the statement, however, that all data were
reported on the basis of ignited soil.

"That will reduce some of these amounts about one-tenth," he said to
himself. "In our physics work in college, good soils generally lost
about ten per cent. in weight by ignition, even after all
hygroscopic moisture had been expelled; but these very poor soils
haven't much to lose, I guess. They surely contain no carbonates and
very little organic matter, although they may contain some combined
water."






CHAPTER XXIV

THE NATION'S CAPITOL





PERCY spent three days in Washington.

"If I lived here long," he wrote his mother, "I think I should
become as optimistic as the Secretary of Agriculture, even though