New-York tribune., 1868-02-01
SCIENCE

Action OF ALUMINA AND OXYD or IRON IN
sOIIsAt late meeting OF the LONDON 'Hiloai y ~
aents ny him determine the part taken oy oHSd
of iron and alumna n the atsorptiVe aSJIo VI sus
used arally urepared bydratcs Of aumna ana sesqul
oxvd of iron also tWO samples Of native sll containing
ss2 aud 1881 per cent respectively OF oTya Oh iron anu anu
RIumua Though these he passed solutions OF bOne
phosphate OF lime, alkaline carbonates and shae-,
ammonia salts. DC, for the purpose OF asceril t VIC
dgesic IN weak atcc acid 10 remove all cacaTeOus con
sdtuents which would have inerfered with the INTENDED
aeuou ana then thoroughly washed With water, aitf
which il placed in contact with the lime phosphate,
current OF carboniC acid being occasionally passeu
unongh Al tho expiration Of week, the SOL % Mas
srd aud only 40 ner cent OF the lime originally present
The solution from which the author inies tnat aa
per oxyd Of iron possess special aiiny iOi
aud that n the phosphoric applied land IN The shape
OF manure must ultimately become converted mo ,
pilates " iron and aumina and inc S , ,ref
be sufficiently large, all the acid Viii be retae, ~ AZ,
erence in the forric phosphate Inc no
found that the absorption power OF hUa -, creator
i6an FOR nitrate OF potash or chcrde Of potassium ihc
corresponding salts Of ammonia De.hDeu III that the
manner Iu conclusion he expressed the OlhIon 'na .io
cJion M sos was dependent upon true chem
ical anuites, in conradstineuon 10 INC We" '""' ~
ihe effect of nl,yscal attractions. 800
The President Warren De n Rue thonght that canste
hme 80 largely used by the farmer |oulu nave eie"'
iuduetcc in absorbing phOsphOric acld - ., -
i,rof Wav sad there wcuid be more difficulty In deter
nuiug the degree OF absorption OF le ed W. @
Inonia and potash than Gi thc O.hSr Ilkane ss ~
the existence of the hydrate OF aiuInna was mater O
of doublc scate Of aiunina aud many kinds contained
Hme locked up in such manner that 1t could not be ex
tI1Cteu hy dtlus, YET lhtg A4d thN ho VI
ammonia without any apparent chemcal chhhRc. ,
Ir VOlcRer said tine results OF his experiments III the
main agreed with those of NJ Warrington. There was
hnd Of peroxide OF prccipted by lime when he,
Laved extraordinary manner ms 10 the amount Oh
phosphuric acid II could take up and lime IN son mas
great influence in absorbing ammonia so also mas lne ny
Grated silica naturally occurring in SOIL as Wen as oIVr
constituents which had not been taken into account
There was u remarkable tendency IN nature Tor we
ko 10 take of self and # There should happen 10
he a deficiency Of any one Ingredient this was quickly
rrmedied by prODer selection from the materials pre-
sented IN the form Of manure.
Dr. Gilbert said the experiments described seemed 10
establish certain poins hut he doubted the appCaolily
these results 10 soils they really exist MI WrfE
ton Piled that When lime present, with the 0Ayt Z"
iron, these bases acted more powerfully, but IN the same
direction II was only question ~ lime as 10 now uC
phOsphOric acld would be absorbed IN ferfugnOus ho
Hunus to be capable OF absorbing free ammonia;
AZ WAS evident that each ingredient OF the soil must be
experimental upon separately.