NIT 



Mr 



cording to Boussin^ault, when dri- 

 ed in the air it is 10 times as fertili- 

 zing as good I'ann-yard manure. It 

 may be composted with any of the 

 ordinary manures, and should be 

 ploughed under shallow, and near to 

 seed time. As a poudrctte, it is used 

 to the hill, or as a top-dressing. It 

 is best applied to quick-growing, rank 

 plants, as turnips, and cruciferous 

 plants generally, Indian corn, pota- 

 toes &c 



NIMBUS. The rain cloud. It is 

 black, and near the earth. 



NIPPERS. The four front teeth 

 of the horse. They are put forth be- 

 tween the second and third years. 

 Pincers, forceps. 



NIPPLE. A conical elevation. 

 The extremities of the udder. Teats. 



NITIDUS. Shining, polished, 

 smooth. 



NITRATE OF AMMONIA. This 

 has been used as a steep, in the same 

 way as nitre, but is, perhaps, too ex- 

 pensive, except for garden crops. 

 Nitrate of lime, for leguminous crops, 

 and perhaps all others, would prob- 

 ably be as serviceable, and much 

 cheaper. 



NITRATE OF SILVER. In the 

 fused state, called lunar caustic, and 

 much used as a caustic. It consists 

 of one equivalent of nitric acid united 

 with one of oxide of silver. A solu- 

 tion is used in the laboratory to de- 

 tect the presence of muriatic acid and 

 ciilorine in solutions, with both which 

 it forms a white, curdy precipitate. 

 It is also a test for organized matter, 

 becoming black in its presence. 



NITRATES. Salts containing ni- 

 tric acid combined with a base, as ni- 

 trate of potash, soda, lime, ammonia. 



N I T R E. Saltpetre, nitrate of 

 potash. A compound of 54 parts (1 

 equivalent) of nitric acid with one 

 equivalent, or 48 parts potash. It 

 crystallizes in six-sided prisms, with 

 two faces at the summits ; is soluble 

 in seven parts cold, and less than its 

 weight of hot water. It is for the 

 most part derived from the soil of 

 India. Egypt, and Spain, and exists 

 in most limestone caverns and about 

 dunghills. The crude nitre contains 



nitrate of lime chiefly, but by adding 

 fresh ashes, boiling, and crystallizing, 

 nitrate of potash is obtained. It is 

 extensively used in the manufacture 

 of gunpowder, preserving meats, and 

 as a chemical and medical compound. 

 The coarser kinds have also been 

 used, to a great extent, in agricul- 

 ture, principally as a steep for corn, 

 wheat, and grain generally. For this 

 purpose, one pound, dissolved in one 

 gallon and a half of water, answers 

 for a busliel of grain. This is the 

 strength used by Mr. Campbell, but 

 ordinarily five or more gallons of wa- 

 ter are employed. The grains re-^ 

 main for 60 hours. This steep not' 

 only forwards their germination and 

 start, but is one of the best preserva- 

 tives against rust, smut, and insects. 

 The pounded nitre has been used at 

 the rate of from 50 to 100 lbs. to the 

 acre as a top-dressing to grass, wheat, 

 barley, and other crops. It frequent- 

 ly does great good, especially on poor, 

 sandy soils, but 'is not so apparent on 

 very rich lands, and sometimes fails 

 altogether. The high price of $7 to 

 §9 the cwt. forbids its use except as 

 a steep ; which seems, also, to be the 

 most effective application. Nitre and 

 nitrates are by no means uncommon 

 in plants. It has been found in the 

 sunflower, borage, barley, tobacco, 

 Indian corn, beet root, and probably 

 exists in all grain plants. It does 

 not seem to have any remarkable ad- 

 vantage over the nitrate of soda, or 

 cubic nitre of Peru, which is one half 

 the price. 



NITRE, CUBIC. Nitrate of soda. 

 It consists of one equivalent nitric 

 acid and one soda ; is crystallized in 

 rhomboids ; is very soluble and de- 

 liquescent, requiring but three parts 

 water, at 60^ Fahr., for solution. It 

 has been used to land precisely as ni- 

 tre, with similar effects. The great 

 part of the salt in commerce is deri- 

 ved from Peru, where immense de- 

 posites of it occur in Taracapa and 

 Atacaina. 



NITRIC ACID. A(iuafortis. The 

 pure acid is unknown, that of the 

 shops being a solution in water; the 

 strongest specimens have a sp. gr. of 



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