119. Phenomenon manifested in the Sugar- Cane. 



origin to highly-intense electric currents which have acted 

 on entire lines of canes in the direction of the winds. This 

 opinion was also confirmed by the proprietor of one of the 

 Estates I -visited, for he informed me, that storms accom- 

 panied with lightning had burst with great violence over 

 that portion of the district he inhabited, and that they had 

 been more frequent and violent than usual. 



It is recognized in theory that, in a spot of ground 

 abounding in animal and vegetable matters in a state of 

 decomposition, the nitrogen therein contained escapes in the 

 form of ammoniacal gas. It is also recognized that am- 

 monical gas, in this state, is capable of burning in the 

 oxygen of the atmosphere in presence of electricity, and 

 the decomposition of the elements of the ammoniacal gas 

 takes place; so, that the oxygen of the atmosphere com- 

 bining with the hydrogen, of the ammonia will form water, 

 thus leaving the nitrogen free. 



Thus, to suppose a given volume of Ammoniacal Gas com- 

 posed, of one part Nitrogen and three parts Hydrogen; then 

 1 part of Ammonia (N.H. 3) combined with 3 parts of Oxygen 

 (O. 3.), the result will be N. H. 3—0. 3=3 H.+N. Or, in 

 other terms, if a portion of Ammonia diffused in the atmos- 

 phere, be decomposed by electricity, 3 parts of Hydrogen 

 combining with 3 parts of Oxygen will form three parts of 

 aqueous vapour (H. 3+0.3), whilst theNitrogen (+N.) being 

 free, may combine with the Oxigen of the air in the ele- 

 mentary form; I use the term «elementary form,» because 

 under favorable circumstances the Nitrogen could combine 

 de novo with five parts of Oxygen (O. 5.) and produce Nitric 

 acid (N. O. 5). D r Cre says «that nitric acid is readily gene- 

 rated when a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gases, con- 

 fined over water or an alkaline solution, has a 9eries of 



