THE KEY-NOTE OF GOOD FARMING. 33 



" ground, in the church-yard of the Egitse des hinocens^ at Paris, 

 " all the nitrogen contained in the adipocere was in the state of 

 " ammonia. ******** The nitrogen of putre- 

 " fied animals is contained in the atmosphere as ammonia, in the 

 " state of a gas which is capable of entering into combination 

 " with carbonic acid, and of forming a volatile salt. Ammonia 

 " in Its gaseous form, as well as all its volatile compounds, is of 

 " extreme solubility in water. Ammonia, therefore, cannot re- 

 " main long in the atmosphere, as every shower of rain must 

 " effect its condensation, and convey it to the surface of the 

 " earth. Hence, also, rain water must at all times contain 

 " ammonia, though not always in equal quantity. It must con- 

 " tain more in summer than in spring or winter, because the 

 " intervals of time between the showers are in summer greater, 

 " and when several wet days occur, the rain of the first must con- 

 " tain more of it than that of the second. The rain of a thunder 

 " storm, after a long protracted drought, ought, for this reason, 

 " to contain the greatest quantity conveyed to the earth at one 

 " time. * * * * 



" It is worthy of observation that the ammonia contained in 

 " rain and snow-water possesses an offensive smell of perspira- 

 " tion and putrefying matter, — a fact which leaves no doubt 

 " respecting its origin." 



To repeat, — while there is a certain amount of ammonia and 

 nitric acid presented to the roots of plants in a state of nature, 

 the excessive growth at which good farming aims, can be stimulated 

 only by the addition of increased supplies, either by the applica- 

 tion of manures, or by such a system of cultivation as shall cause 

 an increased absorption of ammonia from the air. 



Nitrogen is not only a necessary element of all plants, it is 

 even more largely a constituent of the bodies and of the milk of 

 animals, and it remains an object of the greatest care of the 

 farmer through the whole course of his operations. He must first 

 procure it to apply to his growing crops, must next so use it in 

 his stock feeding as to produce the greatest development of meat, 

 of milk, or of wool, and then must so economize that which the 



