1849 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
315 
Mustiness. —In a humid climate, along water cours 
es. and upon moist soils, most families are more or less 
troubled with a musty, offensive dampness. It is fre¬ 
quently so great as to render clothes unpleasant to wear. 
Drawers and closets are affected by it, and even large 
rooms, not frequently ventilated, are sometimes so un¬ 
pleasant as almost to take the,breath away on entering. 
But it is in the pantry, milk-room and cellar, that it is 
most frequently found. Victuals acquire an unpleasant 
taste; milk becomes unfit for use, and butter loses its 
flavor. Now, whatever other causes conspire to pro¬ 
duce this result, is it not probable that the presence of 
an undue amount of carbonic acid gas is the chief cause? 
The Remedy. —Would not science dictate something 
which would absorb the noxious gas ? What better 
than the leaves of plants ? There are, doubtless, many 
who resort to this method; but there may be some, 
who, like myself, never thought of it. Every few days 
place a few branches of any good trees or shrubs in the 
infected apartments. You will probably find the air 
much improved. 
State Fair. —Many of us greatly regret that we 
have no State Fair this fall. You may expect a large 
Ohio delegation in New-York, and a kind Providence 
permitting, next year we will try it in Ohio. Darwin 
E. Gardner. August 20, 1849. 
Note. —The mustiness to which our correspondent 
alludes, can be remedied by placing lumps of fresh 
burnt lime in the infected apartments. The lime, in the 
process of slaking, absorbs the carbonic acid gas. Eds. 
Ammonia in the Atmosphere. 
At the convention of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science, held at Cambridge, Mass., 
in August last, Prof. E. N. Horsford read a valuable 
paper on the “ Moisture, Ammonia, and the Organic 
Matter of the Atmosphere.” 
In relation to moisture, Prof. H. gives the following 
as some of the results to which his observations tended: 
1. Other things being equal, the moisture is in gene¬ 
ral proportion to the temperature. 
2. Slight variations of temperature are not accompanied 
by corresponding variations in the quantity of moisture. 
3. Great variations in the quantity of moisture may 
take place while the temperature and altitude of the 
mercurial column remain constant. The quantity of 
moisture has even doubled in the course of an hour, al¬ 
though the temperature became reduced. 
4. As a general remark, the moisture on the same 
day seems to depend chiefly on the direction of the wind. 
5. The least quantity of moisture was observed du¬ 
ring a N. W. or N. N. W. wind; the largest during a 
S. W, or S. S. W. wind. 
6. The former occurred on the 12th March, and the 
latter on the 23d of June. The quantity on the latter 
day was to that on the former as more than fifty to one. 
To test the quantity of ammonia in the air, Prof. H. 
used an apparatus of his own construction. He says— 
,( The object in view in the arrangement of the appa¬ 
ratus was to provide that the air should, by means of 
an aspirator, be transmitted through a constantly renew¬ 
ed atmosphere of hydrochloric acid vapor. To this end 
a series of tubes containing asbestos drenched with hy¬ 
drochloric acid, and terminating in a potash bulb tube 
containing diluted hydrochloric acid, were connected 
with a safety tube, which was connected with an aspi¬ 
rator. Through this apparatus, a known volume of 
air was transmitted. At the conclusion of the experi¬ 
ment, the apparatus was thoroughly rinsed w r ith distill¬ 
ed water, and the ammonia determined in the usual 
manner with bichloride of platinum. 
11 To find a normal atmosphere two determinations 
were made from the end of Foster’s wharf, which, in 
one direction looks out upon the Atlantic during the 
prevalence of a strong east wind. A second determi¬ 
nation was made in a court called the ‘ Half Moon/ 
communicating with Broad street, Boston, an area of 
crescent form, about 180 feet by 70 feet, surrounded by 
brick buildings of five and six stories in height. 
“ In these buildings it was estimated there w r ere not 
less than a thousand individuals, most of whom, in ex¬ 
treme poverty, have within a few months arrived from 
Ireland. This locality was pointed out by one of the 
assistants of the City Marshal, in reply to the request 
that he would direct to the worst habitable part of the 
city. In the centre of the court were the common vaults 
and sinks serving this large population. The atmos¬ 
phere of this court, which was offensive in a high de¬ 
gree, was not found to be distinguished on account of 
its ammonia., above that of the ocean in an east wind. 
“ Two determinations were made in Cambridge, one 
during the prevalence of an east wind, the other during’ 
a west wind. The quantities of ammonia in the east 
wind, as ascertained from the above determinations, va¬ 
ry very considerably from each otner. Great care was 
taken in the preparation of the reagents employed and 
the ammonia in the hydrochloric acid, water and bichlo¬ 
ride of platinum previously ascertained. Still such was 
the discrepancy between the author’s results, that he 
forbears a statement of the quantities ascertained, only 
so far as to remark, that they very greatly exceed those 
obtained by Fresenius in his recent determinations at 
Wisbaden. 
“ Organic matter has been observed in the air by se¬ 
veral scientific men. Henry and Chevalier have detect¬ 
ed acetic acid, and probably nippurie acid, in the atmos¬ 
phere of a stable. 
‘‘ On transmitting a large volume of air through the 
ammonia apparatus, supplied wuth hydrochloric acid, 
and evaporating in platinum over a water bath to dry¬ 
ness and ignition the products of a thorough rinsing, no 
blackness was observed. On transmitting a similar 
large volume through a similar apparatus supplied with 
caustic potassa, previously found to be free from organic 
matter, and treating as above, the residue blackened. 
This goes to show, as far as a single result may, that 
the organic effluviae in the air are of acid character.” 
.Litigation. 
I cordially agree with the remarks of a “ Farmer” 
on Litigation in the last Cultivator; his admonitions 
are excellent; and it is well that he has called the at¬ 
tention of the commraunity to the subject. 
Persons very peaceably disposed, however, in resist¬ 
ing an oppressor, are liable to be drawn into a lawsuit. 
Such an instance is fresh in my memory; and we may 
ask if our judiciary system is calculated in every parti¬ 
cular to protect an hoBest man without the risk of his 
being ruined? No—it is quite otherwise from its ex¬ 
cessive expenses; and though many improvements have 
been made since we emerged from under a monarchy, 
yet enough remains of the old fabric to show that the 
good of a few, and the disregard of the many have been 
leading ideas in the minds of most statesmen. 
If this remark should seem too censorious, let us con¬ 
sider the provision for jury trials in civil causes, which 
should never have been introduced. No person more 
highly appreciates a jury than I do, when life or liberty 
is at stake,—interposing itself between the government 
and the accused, for judges in the olden time were more 
or less suspected of leaning towards the side of power, 
and the same thing may occur again. But a jury trial 
in civil causes has no such advantage. A verdict of 
Not guilty is final; but civil verdicts are of no certain 
value. In the former case, a jury is the palladium of 
liberty, but. in the latter, too often the instrument of in¬ 
justice. In my view it is worse than useless; and this 
opinion I know is held by some of the soundest lavryers 
