352 
On  the  Power  of  Soils  to  absorb  Manure. 
The  whole  quantity  of  solution  (4000  grains)  will  have  lost  therefore 
• 1004  grains,  which  has  been  absorbed  by  2000  grains  of  powdered  pipe, 
making  the  absorption  • 0502  per  cent. 
The  powder  of  tobacco-pipes  absorbed  from  the  muriate  -0360 
per  cent.  ; from  the  solution  of  free  ammonia  it  absorbs  0502 
per  cent.,  or  slightly  more.  I have  before  said,  however,  that  it 
would  be  unsafe  to  press  for  distinctions  so  slight  as  this  ; and 
all  that  can  be  fairly  said  is,  that  whether  from  the  muriate  or 
free  ammonia,  the  absorption  by  powdered  pipe  is  very  small,  and 
probably  equal  for  the  two  solutions  when  of  corresponding 
strength. 
The  experiment  which  follows  exhibits  a result  not  exactly  in 
unison  with  the  principle  which  seemed,  in  some  sort,  fixed  by 
previous  experiments : that  is  to  say,  that  the  absorption  of  am- 
monia is  equal  for  solutions  of  the  same  strength,  whether  the 
free  alkali  or  one  of  its  salts  be  used.  I record  the  experiment  as 
it  was  made,  feeling  convinced  that  whatever  now  appears  con- 
tradictory in  it  will,  by  further  researches,  be  cleared  up — if  not 
to  the  establishment  of  the  principle,  at  least  to  that  of  the 
truth : — 
Experiment  7G. — Mr.  Pusey’s  soil  and  ammonia : — 
Standard  Solution  of  Ammonia 
Mr.  Pusey’s  Soil  .... 
2000  ®ra'"8  | Digested  for  two  hours. 
1st  Distillation  of  the  resulting  Liquid — 
Grains.  Platinum  Salt.  Ammonia.  PerCent. 
230*46  gave  7*14  = *54435  or  *2302 
2nd  Distillation — ■ 
272*76  gave  8-71  s *66405  or  *2434 
1st  Experiment.  . . *2362  per  Cent. 
2nd  , , • • • *2434  , , , 
Mean  . . . *2388  ,, 
100  grains  of  the  original  Solution  contained  *3173  grains  of  Ammonia. 
100  grains  of  the  resulting  Solution  contained  *2388  , , ,, 
Loss  on  100  grains  of  Liquid  . . . *0785  ,,  ,, 
The  whole  quantity  of  liquid  will  have  lost  3-140  grains  of  ammonia, 
which  has  been  absorbed  by  2000  grains  of  soil — making  the  absorption 
• 1570  per  cent. 
Experiment  77. — Mr.  Pusey’s  soil  and  muriate  of  ammonia, — 
Standard  Solution  of  Muriate  4000 
Mr.  Pusey’s  Soil  ...  2000 
grains  | Digested  for  two  hours. 
1st  Distillation  of  the  resulting  Liquid- 
Grains. 
Platinum  Salt. 
Ammonia. 
Per  Cent. 
349*02 
gave  9 • 43 
ra  *71894 
or  • 2059 
2nd  Distillation — • 
244*91 
gave  6*73 
=s  *51309 
or  *2095 
