HISTORY OF GEINE. 95 



Ulmate of ammonia, C*° II'* C + ammonia -f 2 aqua. 

 Humate " C*" H''^ 0'» + ammonia + 3 aqua. 



Or, per cent. Carb. Hyd. Oxy. Nitrog'. 



Ulmate of ammonia, 64.75 5.06 26.22 3.97. 

 Humate " 64.58 4.22 27.46 3.74. 



Mulder, having thus shown the composition of these arti- 

 ficial products, proceeds to trace similar natural products in 

 peat, decayed wood, and soil. Here his labors have a direct 

 bearing on agriculture. He points out their relation with 

 those above in so clear and masterly a manner, that it is 

 impossible not to believe that, in agriculture, the artificial 

 and natural products would produce like effects. In the 

 natural formation of these substances, Mulder remarks, 

 generally, that, during decay, without free access of air, 

 ulmin and ulmic acid are formed, as in peat of a brown color, 

 while, as in black peats with free access of air, humin and 

 humic acids are produced from the primary products. This 

 agrees with his experiments in air, and a vacuum. Peat, of 

 a brown color, having been treated with alcohol, to remove 

 all resinous matter, was then treated with carbonate of soda. 

 All the soluble matter was thus extracted, that is, the ulmic 

 acid. The insoluble geine is ulmin. The soluble, precipi- 

 tated, has all the characters of the ulmic acid of sugar. It 

 differs only in this, it may not be heated above 284° Fah- 

 renheit, without decomposition, and then produces formic 

 acid and water. Sugar-ulmic acid undergoes this change at 

 383° F. Humic acid was prepared by a similar process, 

 from black peat. It has all the external characters of sugar- 

 humic acid. It differs by containing ammonia. Its soda 

 solution, precipitated by muriatic acid, gave a precipitate 

 containing one atom of humic acid, to one atom of ammonia. 

 It loses no water at 284° F. ; at about 365° F. it evolves 



