356 Experinients and Obfervations 
fift of 64 parts carbori¢ acid, 32 azote and 4 oxygen; from 
which it would appear’ that the oxygen employed had con? 
tained originally about 20 per cent: of azotic gas. , 
The fame experiment was repeated over mercury. -In 3 
days the barley began to grow: At the end of ro days the 
gas, which continued of the original bulk, was found to con- 
fit of carbonic acid gas, containing th .of its bulk of oxy- 
gen gas. The barley was partly converted into malt. __ 
Another experiment with common air ‘was made at the 
fame time: the barley did not begin to grow till the end of 
the 4th, and at the end of the 10th day had made much lefs . 
progrefs«than that in the oxygen. The air had increafed a | 
little, and was found to confift of carbonic acid and azotic . 
gas, in the proportion of 1 to 2, and a very {mall quantity of 
oxygen. The barley tafted fweet. . 
Soaked barley was introduced into a jar filled ‘igh and . 
inverted over mercury. At the end of 12 days a very confi- | 
derable quantity of gas, found to be carbonic acid, was pro . 
duced ; but no vegetation had taken place, nor any other fen- 
fible change in the barley. ; 
Another portion of the fame foaked barley, expofed to ni- : 
trous gas over water, at the end of 10 days had undergone ne 
apparent change. The gas, which was dimunifhed a little, 
contained about 5th of its bulk of carbonic acid gas: the 
remainder was pure nitrous gas, as was manifeft from the 
diminution it underwent when mixed with pure air. The. : 
nitrous gas which difappeared muft have been abforbed . 
either by the barley or the water: the carbonic acid gas 
which was produced is accounted for by the laft experiment. 
Two other portions were expofed, the one to hydrogenous 
and the other to azotic ¢as. In 14 days no vegetation in 
either. “Both the cafes had increafed about 2th in bulk, and 
contained each from 3d to 2th of carbonic acid, the remain- 
der being the original gafes not fenfibly changed. The bar- 
ley in'the hydrogen tafted'mufly—no Fi cbEHete: 
It is menifelt Rah ticle experiments that oxygen is abfo- 
= lately 
ST a 
