SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 28f) 



The good, the only way of liming, is by immerfion : put the Method de- 

 feed into tubs, and cover it to the height of four or five fingers fcribed - 

 breadths with lime-water, made fo hot that the hand cannot be 

 kept in it without difficulty ; cover it up, ftirring it three or 

 four times in the twenty-four hours ; after which draw out the 

 bung that the water may run off, the quantity will be but 

 fmall ; it will be nearly all abforbed by the grain, which mull 

 be taken from the tubs, fpread out in the air and then fowed. 



Twelve buthels of wheat, immerfed for twenty-four hours, Wheat becomes 

 will abforb nearly one-fourth of water, that is to fay, they J 1 ™*"*^ 

 will fwell to fifteen or fixteen bufhels by meafure. Let us f or bing water» 

 now inveftigate the theory. Every grain of this corn carries 

 with it to the earth a quantity of water, more than fufficient 

 to enfure its germination. This water acts principally upon 

 the extractive matter of the hufk ; it difiblves this principle, 

 one of the properties of which is to attract and ftrongly to re- 

 tain moiflure. Hence this water will not be evaporated. If Dunghill water 

 inflead of pure water, we ufe dunghill water, which is fatu- ,s e * 

 rated with this extractive matter, together with deliquefcent 

 falts, and fatty matter, then the moft minute quantities of 

 furrounding humidity will be attracted towards the grain. But 

 in truth it will, after this treatment, fucceed very well with- 

 out the fpeedy affiftance of the rains and dews j it poflefles a 

 fufficiency of moiflure to put forth its germ, to throw out its 

 radical, and in fhort, to fecure its germination. The grain RiecapituUttfu 

 which has been fteeped gains, in ordinary feafons, from twelve 

 to fixteen days in advance before that which has not been 

 fteeped ; and in times of exceffive drought, it gains every 

 thing. If fteeped, it germinates and grows ; and if not 

 fteeped it dries and perifhes. Let the rains come, let them 

 continue, ftili I advife immerfion 5 which by forwarding the 

 germination, remedies the inconveniencies of a late feed- 

 time. 



ExtraGtfrom a Memoir by Cit. Fourcroy, on tlie Cliemical 

 Nature of Ants, and on the Jimultaneous Exijience of two Vege- 

 table Acids in thefe Injetls. 



Samuel Fifcher firft defcribed this acid in 1670. It has Experiments 

 fince been more particularly examined by MargrafF, Arvid- Shewing the ex- 

 fon, Bergman, &c. and finally by Cit. Deyeux, who efta- as we ]j as fo^c 

 blifhed the identity, which MargrafF had previoufly fufpecled acid in ants. 



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