Agricultural Chemistry. 425 
and then again urged. Here, the air, that occupies the helm of the 
still, yields, according to Boblig, its nitrite of ammonia to the condens- 
ing vapors 
Diicsisther says further that the statement of Schénbein, that water 
and nitrogen unite directly to form nitrite of ammonia, appears doubtful, 
ause the evaporation-experiments of the latter were made with un- 
limited quantities of air, and no account was taken of the preéxistence 
in it of the nitrite. But the nitrite always occurs in the atmosphere, 
though in Se RRR that vary extraordinarily with meteorological 
condition 
ma “1 eve n its quantity was scarcely diminished by oe 
é 
lowing: 50 cc. of pure water were distilled in a sate stream of air 
(more than three cubic feet) made free from nitrite of ammonia by pass- 
ing through of vitriol and a long potash tube. The temperature 
rose from 12° to 100° C. After cooling, oi distillate gave no reaction 
either for sheet or nitrous acid. is experiment was repeated in 
the same manner, save that a less quantity of unwashed air was passed 
through it. Both the distillate and the a in the retort gave most 
decided reactions for an ammonia salt, though nitrous acid was not 
detectable, from the sy delicaay of the iodine starch test. 
ive orms. of carbonate of potas , free from nitrous acid and ammo- 
pice a Was present saris minute traces » most perceptibly in in 
water which condensed on the sides of the bell and collected in a capsule 
placed underneath. This result indicates that the small amount of 
nitrite of ammonia found in tlte acid liquid was not produced in the 
experiment by union of water-vapor and nitrogen, but was simply con- 
densed from the atmosphere. 
Bohlig promises further poeeehen 3 in _— the air that feeds the 
flame shall be first purified from nitrite of ammonia. 
It is plain that one —— por iees Tequires preven experimental 
revision. The facts our possession are certainly not sufficient to 
