78 



the vigour of 

 «ld trees. 



Deid leaves 

 answer ihe 

 same purpose. 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



guishlng in an orchard. Refuse flax stalks were spread at 

 its toot, and far enough round to cover all its roots ; when it 

 soon recovered its strength, pushed out vigorous shoots, and 

 was loaded with larger and better fruit than before. 



The leaves of trees falling in autumn may be employed 

 in the same way with advantage; bat dry branches, or some- 

 thing else, should be laid over them, to prevent their being 

 blown away by the wind. The leaves of walnut trees appear 

 to produce the best effect. 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



JL HE substance of the late discoveries communicated by 

 Professor Davy to the Koyal Society is as follows. 



1. That the oximuriatic acid is a simple body, belonging 

 to a class, in which two bodies only dt present are known, 

 this and oxigen. 



2. That like oxigen it forms bodies, which are either acids, 

 oxigciK ^j, analogous to acids, or oxides, by combining with com- 

 bustible bodies. 



Muriatic acid. 3. That hidrogen is the basis of the muriatic acid, and 

 that oximuriatic acid is its acidifying principle. 



4. That phosphorus, sulphur, tin, arsenic, &c., by com- 

 bining with oximuriatic acid, form substances analogous to 

 acids, which have the power of neutralizing ammonia, and 

 probably other alkalis, and of forming combinations with 

 other compounds of ihe same class. 

 Qne analogous 5. That phosphorus acidified by oximuriatic acid forms 

 to an earth. a compound v/ith ammonia not decomposable by a white 



heat, and having ch,aracters analogous to an earth. 

 Compounds of The combinations of oximuriatic acid with inflammable 

 oximuriatic bodies oifer objects of investigation of a perfectly novel kind, 

 analogous to, and scarcely less interesting than those belong- 

 ing to the combinations of oxigen. 

 More than one The chemists of the phlogistic school supposed only one 



Recent disco 

 veries. 



Oximuriatic 

 acid 



analogous to 



New com- 

 pounds. 



acidifying 

 {xiiiciple. 



pri:!ciple of iuflaramability. Lavoisier, in his beautiful ge- 

 neralization, w.'is acquainted with only one acidifying prin- 

 ciple, or one principle which rendered bodies soluble : but 

 there is actually another known^ viz. oximuriatic acid ; and 

 it is not impossible, but others may be discovered, 



London 



