Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-05-23
Essential Fertilizers. Nitrogen.


in regard to them. We will try to make
them plain.
The air we breath is a mixture of two |
gasses, or airs, one called oxygen, and the
other nitrogen. The use of the nitrogen in |
this mixture, so far as animal life is con-
cerned, is only to dilute the oxygen. When |
the air is taken into the lungs it is the |
oxygen it contains that is taken up by the |
blood, and aids to support life. The nitro
gen is all returned with the outward going |
breath. Yet the bodies of animals, as well |
as plants, contain nitrogen in large guam
titles. The blood, the fesh the bones, and |
all the fibrous tissues, Or parts, contain much |
nitrogen. But no animal, so far as is known
can take pure nitrogen and convert it into |
flesh, blood, etc. In order to be so taken
and used, the nitrogen must first be COM
bined or joined with some other substance,
or substances. For animals this work must
first be done by the plants upon which
they feed.
Yet it has been believed land the contrary
is not yet considered to be fully proved)
that no plant is able any more than an ami
NAL, to convert pure, uncombined nitrogen
into nutriment for its growth. A great
many observations and experiments lead to
the belief, however, that plants of the family
to which clover belongs can use the pure
nitrogen of the air as food. But even they
do not derive all, nor even the greater part,
of their nitrogen from the air. As animals
take in nitrogen through their digestive or
gans, so plants take it in mainly by their
roots. And as the animals take it in only
when it is combined with other substances
so plants can take in only combined nitro
gen by their roots. What pure nitrogen
they absorb, if any, is absorbed by the leaves.
The nitrogen of the air is not combined
with the oxygen; it is only mired, as sand
may be mixed with sugar. But oxygen and
nitrogen do combine, and form five distinct
substances, according as they contain more
or less of one of these elementary gases.
The principal one of these five compounds
OF oxygen and nitrogen, is the liquid known
in common language as aqua FORTS or nitric
acid, called in chemical language "nitrogen
pentoxide," or two parts nitrogen, and five
parts oxygen, by measure. This nitric acid.
thus formed by the chemical union (com.
bination) of these two gases, will itself
combine with many substances to form
other substances, all of which, of course,
contain nj and ha h., IL
as food, if they are presented to the roots as
weak solution in water. These compounds
of nitric acid are called ntrates. Potash
saltpeter Common saltpeter) is compound
of nitric acid and potash. Soda saltpeter
(nitrate of soda) is union of nitric acid
and soda Both of these may be used as
artificial fertilizers--the first supplying both
potash and nitrogen to the plants, the last
yielding only nitrogen-as land plants do
not require soda to any great extent.
Besides thus uniting with oxygen, the gas
nitrogen will also combine in chemical
union with another gas, hydrogen-a gas
which, when chemically joined-not mired--
with oxygen, forms water. This union OF
nitrogen with hydrogen forms strong smell
ing gas, called ammonia, which may be dis
solved in water, and thus appear in liquid
FORM In order to give clear idea OF these
different unions of gasses, we place them
here together, thus:
Oxygen and nitrogen (mixed). Air.
Oxygen and nitrogen combined =. -. Nitric Acid
nxtf and hxIr
Nitrogen and hydrogen (combined). .. Ammonia
Having obtained ammonia by the union
of nitrogen and hydrogen-as nitric acid is
formed by the union of nitrogen and oxy-
gen-this ammonia, like the nitric acid, will
combine with other substances to form still
other compounds. Ammonia will unite
with nitric acid 10 form what is called nit
rate of ammonia, and with sulphurc acid to
form sulphate of ammonia. Both of these are
powerful fertilizers. The first named contains
nitrogen both as nitric acid and ammonia
and is therefore very concentrated source
of nitrogen to plants; but it is too costly for
common use. The last named-sulphate OF
ammonia-contains nitrogen only as ammo
MIA, but being cheap product it is extern
siyely used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
Besides these original sources of nitrogen
Tor plant food' we also obtain nitrogen com
pounds suitable Tor that purpose in decay
ing vegetable and animal matter All parts
OF plants except the oil, starch and sugar,
and all parts oil animals except the oil or
lat, contain nitrogen combined in a way to
MAKE II available as plant food. We find a
plain proof OF this in the fact that such
substances when In state of fermentation,
OFTEN throw OIL fumes OF ammonia gas, a
substance too valuable to the farmer to be
allowed thus 10 waste
considerable quantity OF combined nj
trogen is Drought TO the earth in rain and
snow Most oil TINS IS ammonia, which has
escaped from decaying animal and vegeta