No. 133.] 445 



Sulphur has been used advantageously as a top dressing for 

 several grasses ; when burned, the fumes produce sulphuric acid, 

 which is not only destructive to plants, but to animal life. When 

 compounded with oxygen it forms sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol, 

 which is now much used by the learned agricultural chemist, 

 Professor Mapes, in the manufacture of his world-renowned im- 

 proved superphosphate of lime. It combines with lime, mag- 

 nesia, soda and potash, and thus forms sulphates, which are ex- 

 ceedingly useful as fertilizers. If your soil is known to contain 

 magnesia and lime, a diluted application of vitriol will be of great 

 advantage. When sulphur comes in contact with hydrogen, it 

 produces sulphuretted hydrogen gas, which imparts a very disa- 

 greeable odor, similar to that produced by rotten eggs, which is 

 truly this gas. It may also be perceived in putrefied night soil, 

 and many other substances. Phosphorus is a solid yellow mate- 

 rial, like wax in consistence. When combined with oxygen it 

 burns with a blue flame; united with lime, soda and potash, it 

 forms a phosphate, and is necessary to the healthful maturity of 

 all plants and vegetables. Then we have carbonate of potash, 

 the presence of which is to be discerned in nearly all plants. It 

 It will eradicate coarse grass and moss from fields, and benefit all 

 cruciferous and leguminous vegetables. Potash is a compound 

 substance, consisting of oxygen gas and potassium. There are 

 also chloride of potassium, sulphate of potash, citrates of potash, 

 oxalates of potash, and nitrates of potash; these are all found 

 in different plants, and are necessary in agriculture. In connec- 

 tion with this subject may be named, but I have not time to enter 

 into their different merits, chlorideof sodium, sulphuret of sodium, 

 soda, phosphate of soda, carbonate of soda, all of which abound 

 in the ash of plants, and are consequently indispensable to their 

 growth. 



Next we have lime, carbonate of lime, sulphate of lime, nitrate 

 of lime, phosphates of lime, sulphuret and chloride of calcium, 

 all of which, except, perhaps, calcium, are indispensable to 

 plants. 



Then comes the chloride, phosphate, sulphate, nitrate and car- 

 bonate of magnesia, all forming inorganic constituents of vegeta- 



