Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-02-02

longs 10 the subject of soils, and THROWN,
that out Of consideration, il is found tina
even lands which do not hold manure. whicI
have been worn out and exhausted by crop
ping, hold yet a great deal of insoluble Goa
Of mould. They want salts, and something
which will make this inert, dead vegctabl,
matter Of the soil, active. The mould j
active in proportion as it is more or less dis
solved by water. Mould consists of tw,
parts; one is dissolved, though only in
slight degree, by water; the other is not dis
solved by water. Some sui stances, howev,
err do render mould very easily dissolved by
water. Hence, If you reflect a moment OF
these facts, it will be seen that mould itself
being valuable in proportion to the ease will
which water dissolves it, that whatever sub.
stance so enables mould to dissolve, NAV bt
added TO il, and thus increase its value
Now the things which do this are the aka.
lies, soda, potash, and ammonia.
These principles being well settled, we
may enter on the consideration of each DIFF
ierent manure. They will be valuable In
proportion 10 the quantity ard kind of salts
each contains, added to tho power they may
have of producing by their decay substan-
ces which make their mould soluble. Now
this last property, that is, the property Of
producing Il substance which makes mould
soluble, depends wholly upon the nitrogen
of the manure. This nitrogen, in the pro-
cess of decay, becomes volatile alkali, OF
ammonia. The word ammonia will occur
so often in The present discussion, that we
should cndeavor to fix some definite idea to
it. You need not, reader, be acquainted
with all lis chemical properties. | suppose
every man who will be likely to read these
remarks, has smcllcd ammonia. Ii has been
already sail, that it gives the peculiar pun
gent smell to the common smelling bottle.
This is volatile ammonia. 1t is always
formed when animal or vegetable bodies
decay.
1t has been already said, and is now re-
peated in order that it may never be forgot
ten, that ammonia is formed by the union
lof hydrogen and nitrogen. Hydrogen and
si,rogen, two airs, Nitrogen forming four
Tmis of the air we brcathe-let that be
borne in mind, and without going into the
ch,mistiy of ammonia further, or the mode
of calculating how much ammonia a pound
of nitrogen will make, it may be laid down.
and must be remembered, too, that every
pound Of nitrogen may be called two and a
half pounds of sal volatile, or smelling salts
of the smelling-botlle. Two and a hall
lbs. of volatile ammonia formed from one
pound of nitrogen. If then we can deter.
mine, as chemistry may, how much nitrogen
exists IN or forms a part of manure, two and
a half times that will be the ammonia of ,!,a,
manure. If then the vegetable part of ma.
nure is, as VIC have said, valuable and active
in proportion TO its degree of being dissolv.
ed by water, then, as ammonia gives it thi:
easy so!uhility, we may safely say that the
quantity of nitrogen IN manure, is the meas.
ure of the value of its vegetable part. One
thing must be guarded against; not to place
from this view the whole of the value of ma
nure upon its ammonia. Remember tina,
manure consists of carbon, water, and salts.
The whole are equally essential to its action
There is no eye, nor ear, nor foot, nor hand
in manure which may say to the other men,
beers, 81 have no need of thee" The
whole act together; but it is not to be doubt.
cd that ammonia is the heart of manure, and
keeps up the healthy circulation among the
other members.
(TO bp cnntipueiN