The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-10-30
fEomtss Presbyterian
rHARCeAI.-ITs PROPERTIES AND
ISIS.

pHARC6Afs-IIS fhOPEhI1ES AND
Uses.
ih,. substance has excited great stien-
,on Of lale, in snme portions Of the count
r.. although. no accurate experiments have
,s,been made 10 lest its value as q manure.
Ia theory, IL is certain that il possesses
n,eperties which are calculated 10 render
n yery valuable Substance in agriculture.
alllhis arises from power not peculiar
10 charcoal. All porous bodies have the
properry of absorbing the different gases
~ greater ar less quantities. Charcoal.
alter il has been heated "a redness. and
eoaed without being exposed 10 the AR.
Will absorb ninety times il. own volume
ofammeniacal gas, and considerable guam
u,es Of others. If heated aEd'Cooled un-
ler water. and then placed in confined
poraon Of aim ,spheric air, it will absorb
al the oxygen and leave pure nitrogen.
Nov. upon this properly Of absorbing
gases depends it, uses as a manure. In
l..eli. ii has no valuable properties. I, is
one OF the most understandable Of suhstan-
&c. Exposed to heat OF the greatest in
tsnsiiy. il all is excluded, il suffers no
change. Moisture has no effect upon it..
|. has been said by some writer, that after
beng in the ground for several years. it be-
comes converted into sort Of coaly earth.
But on the other hand. il is well known
fact that fence posts are often charred al
The bottom, in order 10 preserve them from
roling, aud IL succeeds for a great num-
Der Of years. In this case no such change
can have taken place. IL is, AT any rate.
very doubtful if il is ever CONT erled into
earth, or, OF itself, furnishes any food Cor
plants. but il does absorb gases, and by
III, powerful condensing force which all
pOrOs bodies possess. they are made solid
10 the pores Of charcoal. One cubic inch
Of charcoal will condense ninety cubic
inches Of amonia. or ,hiuy-five Of carlo.
nc acid. And holding it with all thi.
free, how are they to givx - on s-.ris.s.s.''
one class ur gHeurists WI saw mat NE VI
al power Of the plant can separate IL
Do. it is locked up in the pores Of tho
charcoal where not even the most minute
sme of the roots can penetrate. other'
nv. ii is BY the power Of fixing gases ina
ndoes good, but they do not account 10
the giying them out. What then is il! lie
U. look moment al another fact.
Water absorbs, al the common tempe
nature and pressure, from seven hundre
to eight hundred times its volume oil an
uonIacal gas, and when boiled will not pal
sah the whole Of il. Now notice the d.
ference: charcoal absorbs ninety, and WI
ter eight hundred tines its volume. Ill
superior force Of water is seen a. glanc
And what must be the result VIII.
wmply this. II charcoal is put uponii
land as a manure, however much gas
may have in its pores, the frs, shower
Tain will separate and carry it with Il IN
the earth, ready for the use oil the plant
In the meantime the water takes the pla
Of the gas in the pores. As soon as tn
become dry, and perhaps before. the p
cess Of absorption commences again,
again it is washed out.
The view of the case would indicate
use Of charcoal a. a top dressing tocro
And This we believe 10 be the correct pl
Buried in the soil. it adds 10 its loosene
hW j, is not exposed 10 alternate dry
vet, as when on or near the surface.
Ru, its action 10 compost heaps, or
40 absorbent of the urine Of man and
mails, depends upon another princiI
The general opinions seems to be,
isuse is TO absorb the gases, ammo'
&c, which are given off during dec
position of animal and vegetable subs
ces. rha, this is no, the case, will real
appear, il any one will reflect mom
upOn its we'll known action on animal
Ter. II inca, which has begun 10 pu'rei
Packed down in charcoal. i, is not only
prved Of all bad smell, but the proce:
pnFe(aclion is Immediately stopped.
more gases are formed, and Of course
can be absorbed. It's effect in this
IS" stop the process of decay. In
same manner, any animal or yege'
Substance. il exposed TO The action OF {
eal may be preserved for any lengt
ume unchanged. What the power
Which this is done we DO not preten
say
Its not, then, by absorbing gases
IS so useful in these cases. but 81
@'augh this power of preventing d
'nd preserving these matters in tliel
hanged state. Thus, when used il
so.npost heap, or when saturated
u'ne, all the substances it comes in
ae. with are brought under its inau
,aa when applied to the soil are gra
separated from i, by the rains
"N upon them, and there underg