Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-21

etc. Garlic, onions and mustard owe their
favor to essential oils. Sulphur comprises
from Is to % per cent. of the volatile oil
Of asafe.id and it is this which impsrts
such . dissgreeable odor to this gum. As
aietida is hardened resinous gum, de-
rived from the root of Persian plant Of
the order umbellifera. 1t is used in Persia
and neighboring countries as . condiment
for sauces with US it is used as disin-
fectant, and in medicine, and seems only to
be used as condiment" in the stalls of
stables when the epizootic is on the RAM
page.
Sulphur is an ingredient, also, of albu-
men, gluten and casein-substance which
are found both in plants and animals, and
which will be described in the proper
places it is also component of hair and
horn. When organic matter is burned,
the organic matter which it contains Is
oxydized takes up oxygen), and some is
converted into sulphurous acid gas, while
the rest remains in the ash in combination
with Inorganic matter as sulphates. Some
of the most important of these salts will
be considered under the head of ash in
gradients.
Phosphorus is an element having such an
intense affinity for free oxygen that it never
occurs free in nature. When it is prepared
free by artificial means it must be kept in
water to prevent it from oxidizing. 1t
is known to the chemist In two forms.
The more common one, stick phos-
phoras, is yellow, translucent,
wax-like body; it is intensely poison
GUS, is luminous in the dark, and re-
quires but little heat to ignite it, the heat
generated by the friction in scraping a
match being sufficient to ignite the phos-
phorus. The other form of phosphorus is
brick-red, Opaque form, and is prepared by
heating the stick phosphorus in an atmos-
phere which is incapable of acting chemi-
cally on it to temperature of about 24O
degrees. This form is known as red phos-
phorus. 1t has no poisonous properties, is
far less inhammable than the first, and for
that reason is used in the manufacture of
safety matches. Phosphorus unites directly
with oxygen to form phosphoric acid, a
body of the utmost Importance to the agri-
culturist. Burn bit OF phosphorus (stick
phosphorus) under glass jar, the bottom
of which sets in plate of water. The
jar is filled with dense white fumes,
which are quickly absorbed by the water.
II no water were present it would have
gathered on the plate and on the sides of
the bottle, and when brought in contact
with water would have united with it with
kissing sound, forming phospaoric acid.
In nature phosphorus is usually found as
phosphates, j. E., compounds of metals
with phosphoric acid. In plants it exists
for the most part as phosphates of calcium,
magnesium, potassium and sodium. The
presence of phosphates in soil is proof of
fIuitfulness, and no plants will grow in soil
which is devoid of phosphorus, as it is
essential to the structure of plants, and
especially so to the fruit and seed. The
phosphorus of plants pass into the animal
body, where it Is found In the juices of the
tissues, and in great quantities il the bones,
the ash of which consists mainly of phos-
phate of lime. The substance of the brain
and nervous system in general contain
phosphorus, as also does the white of eggs.
When the tissues of the body are worn out
the phosphorus in them is excreted in the
urine as sodium ammonium phosphate, or
microcosmic salt. Phosphorus is not only
found in animal and vegetable bodies, but
is also found in sea water, in the waters of
springs and rivers, and in meteoric rocks.
We have now examined the principal
characteristics of the six elements which
constitute the volatile part of plants. Thess
six administration, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus the
chief ingredients OF all products of vege-
table and animal life, and for that reason
have been called by some the organic ele-
ments of vegetation. In order to give some
idea of the relative amounts OF these sew
eral elements in plants, give the compost
tion of four vegetable products, as deter
mined by chemical analysis