Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-11

marsh and Doggy soils owe much OF their
unproductiveness The peroxide of iron,
which contains three parts OF oxygen to
two of iron, will often, in presence OF veg
etable matter, give up one part OF oxygen
to the carbon OF the vegetable matter, and
thus be converted into the protexide
fblack oxide), which is very soluble, and
which readily dissolves in the acids OF the
soil. Dissolved in the liquids oil the soil.
the protoxide may be conveyed to the
roots of the plants in sufficient quantities
to seriously impair the health OF the plant.
The red oxide of iron, like alumina, is said
to have the power of absorbing ammonia.
If so, it has the ability to retain the am
monia, and probably other valuable ingre.
dients. which it absorbs from the soil and
the atmosphere, which would, under other
circumstances, be carried off in solution by
the water passing through the soil. From
the above two properties of the peroxide
we may draw the general conclusion that
soil containing any considerable
ouantiuy Of this substance, and
to which vegetable manure has been ap-
Piled, should be kept well titled, pervious
to the air, and should be frequently turned
over to the free action of the air, so that
the peroxide which it contains may have a
chance TO absorb the ammonia and the
other gases contained in the soil and
lower strata OF the atmosphere and also
that, in case it be obliged TO part with one
atom of oxygen to the carbon of the vege-
table manure, and thus be converted into
protoxide of iron, there viii be free access
of oxygen, which viii combine with the
protoxde to form the peroxide. Iron
also forms two compounds with sulphur
the sulphide or sulphuret, and the BIZ
sulphide or bisulphuret OF iron. TIE sui
phide Of iron is often found IN Doggy and
marsh lands into which it was probably
carried by the water Of the rivers. 1t is Of
itself not directly injurious to vegetation,
but in contact with oxygen forms the
sulphate of iron, which il large quantities
Is decidedly so. The bisulphide, or
COMMON IRON PYRITEs,
Is very abundant natural product. It is
of very general occurrence in coal.beds,
and it is to the presence of the biaulphide
OF iron that many Goals owe their sulphur
Gus fumes when burned. Il parts so read
lily with some of its sulphur that sulphur
is often obtained from it by distillation.
Exposed to the air it often absorbs oxy-
gen with such rapidity as to take fire and
burn with the formation of sulphuric acid
and sulphate of iron. OF the several known
sulphates of iron, only one, the green Wit
riol of commerce, occurs to any extent II
soils. 1t is most abundantly found in bogs
andmarshy places, butitis seldom thattraces
at least cannot be found in soils. When
present in any considerable quantities it is
very injurious to vegetation, but its effects
may be prevented by the addition OF quick
lime, birthstone, mari, or in fact most
any compound of calcium Cime), which
decomposes the sulphate of iron with the
formation Of gypsum (sulphate of lime)
and neutral or uniDj furious salt of iron.
In solutions of sulphate of iron which are
in contact with the air, oxygen is absorbed
with the formation Of the peroxide fred
oxide) of iron. By the constant loss of the
iron the acid qualities OF the solution be-
come stronger, and more and more injuri-
GUS to vegetation. In the absence OF
perfect drainage the accumulation of this
acid sulphate Of iron can only be neutral
lied, and the soil sweetened," by the
addition of one of the compounds of lime
mentioned above. The proportion of this
acid sulphate may be so great as to make
it necessary to add some one OF these cal
cium compounds, even if there is perfect
drainage. In contact with the air iron
pyrites absorb oxygen, forming sulphate
of iron and sulpburic acid on the
other hand, the acid sulphate of iron
will, in contact with vegetable matter, and
excluded from oxygen, give up its oxygen
to the carbon of the vegetable, thus leav-
ing the bisulphide of iron (pyritesI. The
one is a surface reaction with the absorp-
ton CT oxygen by the iron; the other is
carried on in the suhsoil with the loss of
oxygen on the part of the iron compound.
The carbonate of iron is yellow, powdery
substance, found abundantly in the clay
iron ores. 1t IS insoluble in water, and for
that reason cannot be directly injurious to
vegetation. If exposed to the air it grad,
ually parts with its carbonic acid and is
converted into the peroxide (red oxide) of
iron