[ i66 ] 



Alkalis feem to be the produd of the vegetable prpcefs, for 

 either none or fcarce any is found in the foils, or in rain-water, 

 while in the vegetable they are moft probably neutralized, partly by 

 vegetable acids which are decorapofed in the procefs of com- 

 buftion, and partly by the vitriolic and marine acids. Weftromb 

 found tartar vitriolate and digeftive falts m th« juices of txifolium. 



Gtpsum probably exifts in greater quantity in plants than it 

 appears to amount to after combuftion and lixiviation ; » much 

 of it muft be decompofed during combuftion, and ftill more 

 during lixiviation, by the alkalis exifting in the folution. Thus 

 the apparent quantity of tartar vitriolate is increafed. 



Phosphorated Calx is found in grcateft quaiitity in wheat 

 where it contributes to the formation of the animal gluten. 

 Hence in rainy years the quantity of gluten in wheat has been 

 obferved to be fmaller *. Hence the excellence of bone-afhes 

 as a manure for wheat, and hence wheat fucceeds beft after 

 clover if the clover be fed off, but not if it be mowed f , as 

 much of the phofphoric acid is communicated by the dung 

 of aninials. 



The chief ufe of tartar vitriolate feems to be, that it promotes 

 the decompofition of water, as Mr. Senebier has obferved X\ ■::', 



* 2d Witwer's DilTertations, 103. 



f ad Young's Annals, 36, 37. 



X SUr la Lumiere, p. 130. IV-''.:' ">ir 



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