DECOMPOSITION OF AMMONIA. 75 



decaying animal and vegetable matter, induces this matter 

 to attract oxygen from the air with greater rapidity and 

 abundance. That is, in simple words, ammonia assists in 

 and hastens the decomposition of organic substances, and 

 the result of this is that compounds are formed which react 

 upon the ammonia, combine with it and form ammoniacal 

 salts. When these are in their turn decomposed by lime 

 or other substances in the soil, they become more available 

 plant food, being more advanced towards a fit condition for 

 this purpose and for assimilation into the circulation and 

 cellular tissue of vegetables. 



Seventh. The most important property of ammonia, and 

 that consequently of the greatest interest to farmers, is the 

 ease with which it undergoes decomposition, in the air, the 

 soil, and the interior of plants. 



In the atmosphere it is intimately mixed with a large 

 quantity of oxygen and it also comes into close contact with 

 this gas in the soil. By certain influences already referred 

 to it undergoes a slow and constant decomposition, or oxi- 

 dation, its hydrogen being converted into water, and its ni- 

 trogen, wholly or in part, is changed into nitric acid. This 

 change certainly goes on within the soil and most probably 

 within the substance, or in the sap, of plants. That some- 

 thing of this kind goes on within the plants, as well as in 

 the soil, seems to be clearly indicated by the extraordinary 

 effect of a small quantity of ammonia or of its compounds; 

 in a remarkably short period of time; upon the condition 

 of vegetation. This is very conspicuously seen, in the sim- 

 ple experiment of growing plants in pots where the condi- 

 tion of the soil can be controlled and the effects of plant 

 food noted. A few drops of ammonia added to the water 

 used for the plants, will be seen to change the color of the 

 leaves in a very short time; producing a deep vivid verdure, 

 where before a pale yellowish color prevailed. Investiga- 

 tions are in progress to decide this question but a speedy 

 solution is not likely to be reached. The conditions under 

 which plants exist and the reactions of the compounds of 

 which they are made up upon each other are so varied, that 



