t 



02 



Manures 



t- 



Sect.X. 4 



The fimplldty of carbon, as an elementary fubftance, was difputed 



who believed he had decompounded it. But M 



Aua 



Henry, by accurately repeating his experiments, has (hewn the fai 

 lacy or inconclufivenefs of them. Philof. Tranfad. i 



2. 



797 



Another great refervoir of carbon exifts in limeftone in the form 



of carbonic acid; which when a Wronger acid is poured on th 



earth 



m 



o 



_ IS, acquiring its neceffary addition of heat 

 from that, which is given out in the combination of the ftroiiger acid 

 with the lime. It alfo acquires its neceffary heat, when limeftone is 

 burnt, from the confuming fuel, rifes in the form of gas, and is dif- 

 fipated in the air ; and probably foon fettles on the earth, as it cools, 

 as It is ten times heavier than the common atmofphere. 



3. But the great fource of carbon exifts in the black earth, which 

 has lately been left by the decompofition of vegetable and animal bo- 



d 



and with oxy 

 in the atmofph 



d is then in a ftate fit to combine with azote 



when expofed to thofe two gaflt 



and 



or nitrogen, 

 as they exift 



of nitrous acid 



thus adapted either to promote the 



vegetation. 



or to form carbonic acid, and thus 



6 



affift 



MoraiTes confift principally of the carbonic recrements of vegeta- 

 ble matters, which are gradually decompofed In great length oflime 



"ay, with argillaceous fand, fuch as is found over coal-beds, and 



fome calcareous earth 

 foffile 



mar 



d laftly, with fome iron 



d 



form the ftrata of 



Thefe by elutriation are feparated from each other, and 



countries. 



In other places they remain 



^^tables and terreft rial anim 



confifting of carbonic 



matter 



'^^i'^f;."'/!'"^ were probably produced from the decompoiition of 



ds j and form what in books of prac- 

 tical agriculture is called a foamy foil, " 



fand, and clay, with a portion of iron. 



It has always been obferved, that this black garden mouM, or earth 

 produced from the recrements of vegetables, is capable of ablorbin. a 

 much greater quantity of putrid effluvia than either air o. water, and 



probably 



