Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-01-23
From the Journal Of Agriculture.
value of Phosphoric Acids and Phosrhotes L" Agif-
eu,tUre.

From the Journal of Agriculture.
,,.c Of PhosE,horic Acids and PhOsphatcs im AgIf-
cu,turc.
The importance of phosphoric acid as an ingredient
Of soils is not sufficiently appreciated by practical
,rricultursts They do not seem to be aware of the
fc that this acid is essential to the healthy growth
of all plants, and that lis presence in food Is bso-
utely necessary to render it capable of su tanning
animal life.
II does not exist in the soil in free or uncombn
cd state nor is it so found in either plants ami
mails but it is always combined with the earths and
alkalics, in all three of these kingdoms.
Phosphoric acid consists of one atomic equivalent
of phosphorus and FIVE equivalents OF oxygen or 1870
per cent. of phosphorus and 56,O4 per cent OF ozy
gen.
In the state in which it is prepared by chemists
when fused it is solid transparent substance like
cass and is called, from its resemblance to ce ga-
cial phosphoric acid :,
lift is exposed to a humid atmosphere, it dequll-
csces ard forms a very liquid, which is solu-
ton of the acid in water If it is saturated with any
basic substance, such as lime. magnesia or with the
akalies potash. soda. ammonia 1t loses Its acld
properties by combining with these bases. Its COM
binatons with the first named bases are but very
sparingy soluble in pure water, but more so in Wa
ter impregnated with carbonic acid, with any
acids or with sea salts With the akalies, it forms
very soluble combinations.
In the soil, the comparatively insoluble salts
phosphoric acid are found and 1T IS evident thaI
they are the only ones that would be retained 1or
water would dissolve the soluble salts and soon trans
mort them into that great reservoir of all soluble salts
of the earth-the sea, from whence they would not
return, since they not in any degree volatile.
The wisdom of this law of nature in making the
most precious saline manure fixed and drhcut
soluble salt is obvious: for it is thus kept
always ready in the soil Or the plants to act upon
according to their need.
By their action. little by little the earthly phos-
pilates dissolved taken into the crculatory YES
sells of plants and by the most curious laws, under
go changes of ompostion-exchange of bases and
acids taking place with the other saline matters abb
sorbed from the soil. Thus we find posphate of lime
is partly changed into phosphaes of potash and
soda, another acid, taking possession of the lime,
while it yields up its alkal, with which it was form
ery combined, to the phosphoric acid and new salts
produced In such proportions as the plants need
and adequate to the wants of animals feeding upon
them. 1t is curious law, Also that when the fruit
seed FORM the phosphates mostly leave the stem
and go into them, to become concentrated where
they most needed for food. If we cut the plants
down before the seeds form, have all the phos-
pilates the plants contain dfused throughout them,
and, if we allow the seed to ri pen the phosphates
before observed, will be found mostly in the seed
We find them in the state of phosphate of potash,
phosphate of soda phosphate OF magnesa, and phOs-
phate of lime: and probably. Also phosphate of
monia.
Now all these salts are essential to the growth
and sustenance of animals, and without them grain
would cease to be sufficient food
When the farmer raises crops for sale and removes
his grain and grasses from the soil, he sells por
ton of his soil and, if he does not renew in some
way the saline matter taken away in his crops, he
invariably impoverishes the soil. This work of ex-
hauSon is now going on to most alarming extent,
and prolific wheat lands to be searched for fur
Their westward as the operation proceeds.
Every one knows the superiority of wheat grown
newly cultivated lands, and most farmers a.
fthe fact that soils become exhausted of some
thing, they know not what, but of something essen
tial to the most favorable production of grain.
1t will be object to explain to them the nature
of this operation, and to demonstrate the means OF
obviating the difficulty. This is the duty of the
chemist, and his science WILL we doubt not, prove Of
practical value to the cultivators of the soil.
We SHALL therefore, enter upon this investigation
and explain, with mnuteness of detail, the ma
ture of the inorganic matters of plants and the
sources from whence they derived, and ex-
plain the best and most economical method Of
repenishing soils which have been, in measure
exhausted rendered comparatively infertile. In
selecting the phosphates for first article, we de
not intend to have it understood that they are the
only things needed to render a soil fertile we dc
mean to insist the fact that they the most i'm
portant ingredients of plants and of fertile soils
This will be at once understood when we show tina
more than half the weight of the ashes inorganic
matters of all plants consist of the phosphates of the
akalies and earths, and that those salts all com,
from the SOIL C. T. JACKSON
BosToN, 1851.