Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-01-29

kinds Of food which actually contain the ell
ments necessary TO tho sustenance OF animal III
are nevertheless hard of digestion, and thereto
not so suitable for food as others easier OF dige
ton; so is it also in the case OF plants. Wou
we determine what substances are fitted to pr
mote the rapid, luXuriant growth of plants, "
must enquire not only what substances actuall
contain these elements requisite to the growth {
plants, but also, what substances contain thes
| elements in such forms Of combination as TO b.
readily digested and assimilated by those plants
| As has been already remarked, ammonia is be
| leved to be the compound of nitrogen, from
which plants derive most of that element which
enters into their composition, and to the nature
| and properties Of this compound we VIII now di'
rect our attention.
ammonia, is a compound of nitrogen and n.y.
drogen, consisting OF these elements in the pro-
portion of equivalent, or l4.l5 parts by weight
OF tho former 10 Equivalents or 3 parts by weight
of the latter. When uncomblned with other sub
stances, and pure, il exists in the form OF gas
which assumes the liquid form under pressure
of about 100 lbs. on the So. inch. In its gaseous
form ii is colorloss, is possessed OF a strong, pun
gent odour, and acts.poweriully on the eyes and
nose. II is quite trespira5le when pure, but
when diluted with air, it may be taken into tho
lungs with safety. Burning bodies when plung-
ed into it extnguished, but the gas ITSELF in
favorable circumstances, as when small jet OF
1t is surrounded with pure oxygen, is capable of
combustion, /. g. is capable of combining with
thai oxygen with such rapidly as TO evolve light
and heat.
Among lis properties most important 10 tho
agricultural chemist are The following, viz:
LIST. 1t is possessed of all the properties of
an alkai in an eminent degree; hence the strong
disposition which ii manifests to combine with
acids for II is OF the characteristic proper
ties of the alkalies that they combine with and
nentralize d. e. destroy the distinctive properties
of) the acids. Ammonia is one of the invariable
products Of the putrifaction both of animal and
matter, and of course is always liber-
ated In greater or less quantities during the fer
of nanures. portion of the ammo
MIA thus produced is immediately seized upon by
the organic acids also contained in the fernentng
manure, and with these class of amnoniaca
are formed, often adding much 10
their value. The quantity of ammonia produced
from urine and other liquid manures, is however,
much too great TO combine with the organic acids
in those manures. AS the value of the
manure would be greatly diminished by the loss
OF the ammonia, il has been looked upon as a
deslderatum in scientific agriculture, TO fix upon
some substance, at once cheap and of easy appli-
cation, which would combine with this ammonia
and prevent its escape. One Of the substances
proposed, and one which has of late been used
10 some extent in France and Switzerland de-
Ponds for It's action upon the property of ammo
MIA just mentioned, viz: its disposition TO COM
bne with certain acids. The substance used s
diluted sulphurc Acid (oi of Vi,rol) or what is
Snphate of the oxide of iron (Green Vtriol,) this
compound undergoing decomposition, its sulphu
rio acid combining with the ammonia.
2nd. Whilst ammonia is possessed Of all the
properties of an alkai others are possessed Of
hem in a yet mere eminent degree especially
Potassa, Soda, and Lime Hence it is that these
(and their compounds with Carbonic
acid, to which they are united by comparative
" feeble affinity, act in this respect very much
like the pure alkales) are capable of decompos-
ing the salts OF Ammonia, by combining with the
acid Of the salt and thus setting the ammonia
free. For this it is, that the action of
Lime, especially causlic lime, upon fernenting
manure and even on compos.-heaps, is often in
furious. IL decomposes the organic salts Of Ann
mona q. @. compounds Of ammonia with acids
produced during the growth of vegetables or dur
ing their decay which have been formed, and
with the acid suffers the ammonia TO
escape into the atmosphere. This property of
Ammonia just mentioned; points ont to us one of
the ways in which lime produces its beneficial
effects when applied to soil containing much
matter in decaying state 81 say,
one Of the ways, because lime doubtless produces
its effects, like most other natural causes, in sew
eral different ways. Wherever there is much de-
caying vegetable matter contained in the SOIL these
organic salts Of ammonia must be present in that
coil, they the nvariable product of such de-
say. Now these organic salts although capable of
digestion by plants, yet as their elements are held
together by the force Of affinity, they are not as
easy of digestion, uncombined ammonia dis
solved in water. The effect Of lime upon these
salts is to decompcse them, just in the case Of
its application to manure heap, and the ammo
MIA thus liberated, in small quantities at time,
Tor these salts exists III small quantities diflused
throughout the soil, is Immediately absorbed by
the water, Gin the form OF moisture) contained in
The soil and is thus presented 10 the roots of
plants in the best possible condition to be taken
up by those roots. For various reasons am in
clned TO think, that this is not the least impor-
tant of the ways in which lime is capable OF ope-
rating when applied 10 the soil, and it would
point us TO the practical rule of applying il only
to soils which already contain a good deal Of
vegetable matter.
3rd. Ammonia possesses the property Of com
bnng with certain salts and oxides as well as
with acids; these compounds are, however held
together by very feeble affinity, SO that thew
undergo decomposition by simple exposure TO the
air. in many respects they resemble the COM
pounds formed by these substances with water.
Among the substances which possess this pow
er of thus combining with ammonia are pure
clay and the red oxide Of Iron. This red oxids
of Iron is the substance which gives the red CO.
Tor to many OF the clay soils Of this country and
1t is no doubt partly owing TO this property Of
taking ammonia from the atmosphere Tin which il
is always presently that these soils owe their
fertility. l have already mentioned one of the
ways in which the Sulphate Of the oxide of Iron
(Green Vitriol) acted in fixing the ammonia Ii.
berated from decomposng vegetable matter, viz,
its SuphuTic Acid combining with portion of
that ammonia and forming Suphate of Ammonia.
second way is this: the red oxide Of Iron left nv
the decomposition of the green vitriol, also COM
bines with portion Of ammonia, and retains il
for the use Of those plants to which the manure
may be applied.
4th. Ammonia is exceeding soluble in water.
IL &c rrl., al.