The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-06

Mexican Ruano contains, In round numbers, three
times % much phosphate of lime IS the Peruvian.
Nov, II "phssphate Of lime Is the only valuable
Igrecient IN guano Of any kind," then clear.
ly the Mexican guano " worth three times
AZ much a. tie Peruvian guano for agricultural pur
poses To settle this point, We should know the
constituents OF the two kinds Of gusno, and also
what constituents OF the guan0 do vegetation re-
quire. A number Of anal, ses Of the Peruvian aud
Mexican guanCs show their constituents to bs:-
Peruvian Aezicaa
Organic matter ammoniacal salts and
ntrogenized matter that with water,
will form ammonia. .5316 SAT
Phosphate oil lime .....................Z3:4 S b9SI
With water, lime, alkaline salts and
sand. 1885 34o5
100 100
By the analysis We sec that the Peruvian abounds
in ammonia and nitrogen, while phosphate OF lime
pred oDin ates IN The Mexican. This occurs fram
the geographical position Of their local depssitOies
The Peruvian guano ofths Chincha Islands being in
q raiDhss district, must predominant in ammonia
and nitrogen, because ammonia, being compound
Of VOL Of nitrogen an0 vols. Of hydrogen, con-
densed into vols, must form in permanent salt,
where the nitrogen Of the sh can get the hydrogen
Of The aqueous matter In sufficient quantity,
while carbonate Of ammonia, the principal
SALT ia soluble in water, and the free ammonia has
. very strong affinity for that element, and there
fore both must be carried oil or washed way, in the
rainy districts where Mexican guanO II deposited.
Plants require nitrogen: analysis shows tney con-
tain il, Dut science has shown precisely how they
get u. Meadow hay abonDds with it, and always
abounds 9th It, srough no Litrogeo. ammonia, or
manure Of any kind IL placed there by man. Liz
big says, "the produce OF nitrogen on q meadow,
which receives no bitrogenized manure, is greater
thsn fhat OF field Of wheat, which has been man
ured." Plants live. like NAV, Ia sn atmosphere n
si.uted OF one measure u oxy gen. with four mea-
suIes OF nitrogen, ~nen pure, besides containing
small portions Of carbonc acid, odors, ammonia,
moisture, &c.-smmODia its"f being compound
of nitrogen and hyoreeen. Lisbie and Others have
an fYnTno Mfh aaio mil laufo Il
composing the ammonia always floating il the At
mOsphere and In rain water. could and do gee
al the nitrogen they require from that mex.
nausiible source; no one doub's they. get all
Il cir car bon from the carbouic acid Of the az
mosphere, and, enthusiastically, some suppose
that they get the nitrogen In the same way. Nov
plants living In sn atmosphere four fifths Of whose
bulk IL pure nitrogen, may alphabetically be sup
poeed to take their nitrogen from such convenient,
wholesome source, without putting themselves to
the trouble Of de- ompoeing the noxious, poisonous
ammonia, which IN Small portions pervades all po-
rous matter as vel as the pores Of plants AID the
sis, We might suggest another very convenient and
iDexhaushble source Of nitrogen, but having no de-
slre 10 announce lew era IN agricultural chems-
try, prefer to take the hgr est kno wn authorities
on that subjects they all agree that the atmosph
either BY lis principal commitment, or by the ammo
MIA floating IN it, can and doss always furnish an
abuD dsDt supply 0f nitrogen tn al classes Of vege-
'ston Il that Theory true then surely the nitro
gen and the ammonia Of Peruvian guauo are worth
less-worth less tbaa nothing for any agricultural
purpose, unless it could be applied to poison and
destroy the Canada thistle, the army and grub
worn that are almost obnoxious as ammonia ITSELF
Turner'S che mis!ry, the highess authority t,as
subject, and the eg IN London ediOn CT II, edited
by Baron LeiDig, equally high ssys It must never
be for gotten that plants are supplied either ON
the soil or in the manure, with the indispensable mi,
neral sats, namely, the alkaes, silica, phosphates,
sn)phates, lime, and msgnesia, they will supply
themselves with ammonia from the at nosphere.''
page 1879 "fhe nitrogen Of vegetables is derived
chi. fly, il not exclusively, from ammonia which is
supplied to them IA rain :" ID. 1909 rhs soil it.
sef ike all pofous bodies, possesses the pro ,ersy
Of absoI bDg smn,oI la and therefore will s.rect
frtm tire atmosphere. Alumics, peroxide Of iron,
ard humua, ali absorb ammonia powerfully: id.
1,3l0. Liebig rays: " Ashes represent the whole
noursnIper which vegetables receive from she soil.
BY furnishing them in efficient quantities, give
10 tire plop,s the pow er Of condensiDg and absorb
il non and niiroaeo by Their Surfaces. May not
the effect OF the sold and fluid Dents, which
are III asher OF plaLts aud grains which have un
cergope combustion in the bodies Of animals and
meb, be dependent upon the satne cause! Should
not Tho fertility ulng from their Applicant IN be
tain? Would their efeoss b. precisely the me
In pre- moIing the fertility Of cultivated plants, IL
hso evsporart the u'ire and DRIED and buried the
O. LID exCrs me Dfe SoI ely, the cerala and legu-
car bon al Dit tgen from sas same source whence
toe gramjnea and ieeunjnous plants OF the meade '
obtain them. No doubt caD ne eDtertsined OF their
ca} ability 20 do So" TIE leaves, the acotns, the
ctesI uts are rich In Nitrogen so ara coo IA nnss,
bread fult, and other tropical productions this
nitrogen 10 Dot supplied, BY man. Can it, TO-
deed, be derived from soy other source
than the atmosphere l"-Liebig. ala what YER
form tie ntrcger supplied 80 plants may be con-
tanned In ire stmosphe,e-ID vbxfever state it may
be when absorbed-'rom the atmosphere il must
have been deeived."-Liebg the fields in the
delta Of The Me are supplied with otoer animal
I'm a q If
AND Jet they bave been proven haIy fe, tire from
usrioc earle r tnan the frs: dawn Of history Taeee
slcsreceive f-t m The iSundation Of the Nile mud
rich III mineral Gle mshss; the mud OF the Nile con-
rains ss itte nitrogen as the muc derived from the
Alps OF Switzerland. Abundant svise, &c in sap
port Of this Important truth may be derived I, ON
Other well Fn0 VI facts. Thus tos trade Of Holland
10 cheese may be a6duced ia ~ OOf and ILLUSTRATION
thereof. We kDOr TIA. c1sese Is derived from the
plants vii serve az t0O1 for CO w. Tne meadow
lands OF Holland cerve tire nitrogen of cheese from
ibe sane source a. with us; that is, the atnos-
pbeIe."-Liehig. IL follows, consequently, rost
We mot increase the fertility of OR fields by a
supply OF IiTogenissa manure or By saiss Of ammo
hia."-L iebic.
Then, NJ. Editor, The highest authorities say the
fifty bree per cent Of srLluuI iacai aud 1isoo missed
MATER IN Peruvian gusro is s.rrh nothing 70 am,
culture; that they cannot IL the tlity Of
OR fel,s, and are, therefore, vsine.ss IN agricu
,Dre Teen surely the selscs committee IT the
Hcpse at tie last ssion 10 error in ssng
kss Cbincba lslaD6s Was valuable rnsn0fe.
We are chided for saying that phosp ate Of lime
is tie ply valuable iDgredens Ia guano Of ny kini
We'll this is not Phosphate OF liEe il The great
universal food for pants. Bones are mostly made
mp CT phosphate OF lime. All grain, ali SEEDS.
must bave phospbaee. Unless phosph s,es are
suppkd 10 the food Of animals trey couis.not have
bchts. almost every plant when burned leaves
ashes, Which commonly contain silica, potash and
bofpbase Of hme Taese mineral bodies appear to
be essential tc the existence Of che vege able lis
sues 70 that plants will not grow IN soils destitute
Of the m, however sbunc sntls supplied With casbonc
acid, ammonia and water" lLiepig's Turner,
page l,3CS.) "A ferule soil nus always contain
paosphSes and sulpbsres IL il is ., p.odocs fooc;
aLo hoe ever vel II may be supplied vita alksis
sBd .ilica, # pbopha,es and sup ases BE- waiting
II can 0Dy produce leaves aad SENS to cerssih
point. but DO sescs sscueDt roots containing al
luminous compounds No supply Of Ammonia eau
prcou albumipous compounds If ohoscnases and
sutpbsstr b. not also supplied" (L,eblg's rarncr
psgs l,3l2.) Bone dust supplies the pnosp,stes
kat have besn extra ted by successive crops OF
krstr 81 cCip; whie If The bones n cattle fed
tbese crops have be- Derived ON The soil. Toe