436 The Neglect of Chemistry hy Practical Farmers. 



Part 3 of Table A, we find, under this head, that, according to 

 Professor Johnston, 1 ton of beans contains 677 lbs. of azotised 

 matter, and therefore 4 tons would contain 677 X 4 = 270^:1 lbs. 

 = 1 ton, 4 cwt., 201bs. 



Example to Form 4. — What is the amount of mineral ingre- 

 dients abstracted from 1 acre of soil bj a good crop of wheat, 

 according to Professor Way '? 



By referring to Part 4 of Table A, we find that the 



Grain abstracts . . . . . 33 lbs. 



Straw „ . ^ -. . . 151 „ 



Chaff „ . . : . . 49 „ 



Total . . . 233 lbs. 



abstracted by entire crop. 



I have added, at the end of these explanations, a small table, 

 showing the equivalent value of the decimal part of a ton or 

 pound, in cwts. and ounces respectively, for the sake of diminish- 

 ing the labour of using these tables. 



Tables F, H. — The only respect in which these tables, 

 comprising the whole series of manures, differ from the preceding 

 is, in the addition of columns showing the degree of solubility of 

 the organic and inorganic portions, and the omission of those 

 devoted to the organic proximate elements, which latter are only 

 interesting as far as feeding is concerned : for I believe that it is 

 now generally admitted, that plants have not the power of 

 assimilating any of them, until decomposed into their ultimate 

 elements. 



The Soluble Orgariic Matter — shows the amount of organic 

 acids, when determined, which are either soluble in water or 

 solutions of an alkali. The principal form in which this soluble 

 organic matter comes under the notice of the farmer, is that of 

 humic-acid, which causes the deep beer-colour which is observ- 

 able in mountain streams, that flow through peat, after heavy 

 rains. In this state, the humic-acid is combined with ammonia, 

 a very soluble salt, the ammonia being derived from the rain- 

 water, from which it is never absent. Doubtless many of my 

 readers may have noticed springs gushing from the mountain- 

 side, which always preserve their crystal clearness, although 

 running through the same peaty soil. The explanation of this 

 fact is, that the spring-water is impregnated with lime, which 

 forms with the humic-acid an insoluble salt, and therefore does 

 not discolour the water ; thus fully accounting for the great benefit 

 that newly-reclaimed peat soils receive from the application of 



