194 MANURE. 



action so evident, is due to one of two causes, or to their 

 joint action. Spent lye acts either by its organic, or by its 

 inorganic part ; by its glycerine, or by its salts. Those who 

 take the ground, that humus or geine never is taken up by 

 plants, will then attribute all the decided good effects of 

 spent lye to its salts. Glauber's and common salts applied 

 in equal quantity to that contained in soda spent lye, should 

 produce equally good effects. It is well known that such is 

 not the flict. Nor will those who maintain this doctrine, 

 admit that glycerine acts by its evolving gases, for then an 

 equal weight of peat would answer. It is well known that 

 such is not the fact. 



237. If spent lye then acts neither by its salts, nor its 

 evolved gas, it acts by the perfectly dissolved state of its 

 glycerine. That such is the case admits not of a doubt, and 

 goes to show that plants appropriate the geine or humus of 

 soil, by absorbing it as geine or geates. 



238. The spent lye acts both by its salts and its geine. 

 The action of salts has been explained. The soluble state 

 of geine is the most important fact to be borne in mind, if it 

 is attempted to make spent lye on a farm. Swamp muck, or 

 peat, ashes, and common salt, will afford all the elements of 

 spent lye, and the following may be proposed as an imita- 

 tion of that from soda soap : 



Fine dry snuffy peat, . . . .50 pounds. 

 Salt, ....... -^ bushel. 



Ashes, 1 " 



Water, 100 gallons. 



Mix the ashes and peat well together, sprinkling with 

 water to moisten a little. Let the heap lie for a week. 

 Dissolve the salt in the water, in a hogshead, and add to the 

 brine the mixture of peat and ashes, stirring well the while. 



