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. x Agriculture is the gnat art, which every "Government, ought to protc!, every prrprldtr j lar.dt to fraetke, clA
every inquirer into nature to innv Johnhin.
VOL. II.
RALEIGH, SEPTEHBEH, 1856.
no. vn.
IT0IITII-CAR0LINA AHAT011.
B- TIIOS. J. LEMAY, Editor i; Phopiiietou.
J5ST Xi:xtM3.-4-Published on the first of every month
at one dollar a ykar, invariably in advance.
JCSS? Advertisements, not exceeding twelve lines
- for each and every insertion, one dolhar containing
more at the same rates.
ON THE FUNCTION OF SALT IN AGRICULTURE.
By Natuicm.
Tnc employment of salt in agriculture ha3 been
of late years so much extended, that the question of
the advantages derived from its use; which formerly
gave rise to so much discussion, can no longer be
raised. Facts hae accumulated, which establish
beyond all question, that its application to certain
lands docs increase their fertility, and improve the
character of tho crops grown on them. In this state
of the case, it is exceedingly.desirablc, that we should
have as clear an idea as possible of the rationale of
it3 action, so a3 to be able to determine definitely
and certainly under what circumstances it may be
advantageously employed. '
With this view, Mr. A. Eeauchamp Northcote,
Senior Assistant in the Royal College of Chemistry,
England, instituted a scric3 of experiments which
EC cm to throw some light on this somewhat obscure
, subject. ' We propose to give our readers an abstract
of these, so fa.r divested of scientific tecuicalitlvs a
U rn4r tbiui UttllijiVU to sit.
-'. f .
It has long been thought, that the beneficial actioa
of salt upon soils ii due to a power of fixing amrnc
nia ; and with thin view, it has frequently been
spread over the surface of dung-hcaps, with the ob ,
ject of preventing the escape of the ammonia pro
duced in the process of decomposition. -:s soui
cases, it appeared to have been more or less success
ful, while in others it has eignaiJy failed. The que
tion of its absorption of the ammonia eliminated
during these changes, is very difficult of investign
tion. That an admixture of salt with guano, re
tards the exhalation of ammonia from the latter,'
seems to be strikingly proved by the recent ciperi v
inent3 of a well known French chemist. M. Bar
ral exposed to the air, for fifteen days, equal welghu
of guauo, and of guano previously mixed with half
its weight of salt ; the amount of nitrogen in each
being determined at the end of that ihne, ho found
that the pure guano had lost Il.C per cent, of ita
nitrogen, whilst that mixed with salt had losl on!
5 per cent. ThU experiment may be consideied de
cisive as regards the influence of suit in retarding
the exhalation of ammonia, but it throws no light
on the nodus operandi oi its action. In fact the mos
natural supposition is, that the untiscptic qualities
f the salt retard the processes of decay. by whicU
ammonia 13 extricated.
Before entering upon his experiments, which flixj
restricted to the absorption of ammonio, Mr. North
cote gives tho analysis and table of constituents it
three specimen of agricultural sdt, calculated to
100 parU cf tho dry salt. This va igprail : : '
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