PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 203 



Taking into account the bones of all animals, from the minutest insect 

 up to and including man, the largest per cent, by far is the phosphate 

 of lime, derived from what each animal eats. Then, again, the salts of 

 ammonia are a compound of gases; and when combined into a chemical 

 form by the aid of electricity, on analysis ammonia is found to be mostly 

 composed of nitrogen gas, the largest constituent of the atmosphere which 

 we breathe, and seventeen parts of hydrogen gas, the basis of water, and then 

 oxygen, another constituent part of water and the atmosphere. The buds 

 aud flowers of trees and vegetation are rich in phosphorus and ammonia. 

 The horns of animals are composed largely of ammonia; the horns of the 

 deer family produce an abundance of the substance called hartshorn. So 

 the ammonia and all the salts are strongly acted upon by carbon and 

 oxygen. Carbon in its pure state is almost the diamond; while charcoal 

 is a compound of potash, lime, magnesia, and oftentimes seventy-five per 

 <;ent. of carbon. Yet when this substance called carbon is united by elec- 

 tricity with oxygen, it forms carbonic acid gas, which combines with lime, 

 forming carbonate of lime, a pure limestone — which gas we drink at the foun- 

 tains of Saratoga; it comes off when new cider works or sours — showing that 

 fruit is composed largely of carbon; hence carbonate of lime in soil is essen- 

 tial to the growth of fruit. Carbonic acid unites with magnesia in the form 

 of sixty-two parts magnesia and thirty-eight parts carbonic acid; so it 

 unites with soda in the form of carbonic acid thirty-eight, soda thirty-seven, 

 water twenty-two; so it unites with potash, but rarely, however; so it 

 unites with iron and various other minerals. Then, again, niter is derived 

 from the nitrogen of the atmosphere we breathe, and forms saltpeter when 

 combined with oxygen. It is found in the form of seventy-nine parts nitro- 

 gen, twenty-one parts oxygen; and yet with a base of nitric acid, and uni- 

 ted by electrical action, it is found in the form of a white salt, and unites 

 Avith potash in the form of forty-seven potash, and nitric acid fifty-four; 

 while some of the earths are found to contain potash forty-three, sulphate 

 of lime twenty-five, carbonate of lime thirty; then niter unites with soda, 

 forming a compound of nitric acid sixty-three, and soda sixty seven. Com- 

 mon sea salt is formed from an acid called chlorine and common soda, and 

 is combined in the form of chlorine sixty, soda forty. While sulphur plays 

 an important part in all the salts, the oxygen of the atmosphere takes hold 

 of it and makes sulphuric acid; it unites with lime, forming plaster of 

 Paris, making a large per cent, of the horns and hair of animals; it unites 

 with soda in the form of twenty-five parts sulphuric acid, twenty parts 

 soda, and fifty-five parts water; it is now called sulphate of soda or Glauber 

 salts; it is found compounded with lime in the form of sulphate of soda fifty- 

 one, and sulphate of lime forty-nine— while one specimen gave sulphuric acid 

 sixty-seven, soda twenty-two, lime twenty-one. The sulphate of magnesia 

 is found abundant in nature and soils, and is called epsom salts; it gener- 

 ally unites in the form of magnesia sixteen, sulphuric acid thirty-three, 

 water fifty-one. The annnonia,'iron and manganese are generally the three 

 principal ingredients that give out the color and aroma of fruit; iron gives 

 the color of the apple; the grape and currant are colored by the iron and 

 manganese. While carbon enters into the composition of various coloring 

 matters, oxygen plays an important part; while nitrogen and oxygen give 



