The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-05-22
The Origin Of Ammonia and the Source
OF its Supply to Plants.
Messrs. Editors american Farmer:

lfessrs. Editors american Farmer:
For years We have measured swords
during our pleasant chats on the above
question, you contending that the pre-
ponderance of testimony favored the ne
cessity of applying, in most cases, am.
moniacal matter to the soil; whilst /
have contended, without being able to
prove it, that there was constant and
sufficient formation of ammonia from the
chemical action going on in the air be-
tween nitrogen and the vapor, forming
nitrate or nitrite of ammonia, which is
the true condition for it to be in to make
love to the growing plants. At last,
light begins to spring forth with evidence
of the great truths which have so long
had possession of my thoughts by day,
and l may say dreams at night. For
these fanatical ideas, SO called, have
been laughed at, and by some thought
crazy on the subject. Recent and simple
experiments have conclusively proved
my theory, which I do not claim as my
own, that ammonia is being formed by
every drop of water that passes from the
earth in the form of vapor. whether at
low or high temperatures, and from any
porous substance exposed to the air.
A. V. Loesecke, in the Archives de
Pharmacie XI, No. l, translated in the
Pharmacist of March, 1879, gives a num-
Der of experiments, which 60 to show not
only the correctness of Schonbein's OBJ
servation that ammonium nitrite is form
ed during the evaporation of water from
the surface of porous bodies, but that
this compound is formed when it vapor-
ICES without their being present.
A number 6s trials showed that the re-
mainder, after evaporation of consid-
erable portion of chemically pure water,
gave, in nerly every case, reactions of
ammonia and nitrous acid, the expert
ment indicating that ammonium nitrite
is formed more abundantly at lower
than at higher temperature, and that
not, alone is this salt generated on the
foliage of plants by the evaporation of
water, (to be absorbed by the stomates
or breathing pores but that greater
proportion of it originates on the ground,
whence, in all likelihood, it is conveyed
to the plants through the roots.
Aside, therefore, from the nitrogen
which Schact assumes plants derive from
the air, but which Mulder contends can
only transpire through the Intervention
of the soil where ammonia is formed,
and which, combined with humic acid,
he believes to constitute the source of
nitrogen in plants, there would remain,
Loesecke saws, manure and ammonium
nitrite" arising from the evaporation of
water. The importance of this is esti-
mated from his computation that the
amount of nitrogen converted into am-
monium nitrite through the evaporation
of layer of water centimetre high, ex-
tending over hectare, would be 0.7639
Kilograms. That is, as l kilo-2,204
pounds, and hectare-2.470 acres, the
evaporation of a stratum of water CEN
timetre, or about 4-l0th of an inch, deep,
would give 0.6S14 pounds of nitrogen to
the acre.
Let US trace out the elements forming
available ammonia. First, we find auater
composed of hydrogen and oxygen in the
proportion of one part of the former to
eight of the latter, (by weight and
then air, consisting of nitrogen and oxy-
gen in the proportion of seventy-eighs OF
the former and twenty-five of the latter,
lin round numbers. To form nitric
acid, we are only to combine IA parts OF
nitrogen and 40 of oxygen, (by weight,
and then we have one Of the most corro.
sive liquids known to science. Again,
combine 8 parts of hydrogen with IA
parts of nitrogen, and we have ammonia,
one of the strongest bases and of suffo-
eating nature. Combine the two and we
have harmless salt, from which laugh
ing gas is made, and this is what is being
constantly formed for its ultimate object
first, to form the blood of fruit and grain.
lgluten,) and finally blood for animal
life. All these elements are found in air
and water, from which, with that almost
invisible companion. carbon. comes forth