324 
DECOMPOSITION  OF  WATER,  ETC. 
chanical  contrivances,  to  promote  symmetry  of  habit,  or  to 
fashion  their  pets  into  odd  fancy  figures.  Thus,  by  the  use  of 
very  shallow  pots,  the  growth  of  the  taproots  is  out  of  the 
question  ;  by  the  use  of  poor  soil  and  little  of  it,  and  little  water, 
strong  growth  is  prevented.  Then,  too,  the  top  and  side  roots  be- 
ing within  easy  reach  of  the  gardener,  are  shortened  by  his  pru- 
ning-knife  or  seared  with  his  hot  iron.  So  the  little  tree,  finding 
itself  headed  on  every  side,  gives  up  the  idea  of  strong  growth, 
asking  only  for  life,  and  just  growth  enough  to  live  and  look  well. 
Accordingly,  each  new  set  of  leaves  becomes  more  and  more 
stunted,  the  buds  and  rootlets  are  diminished  in  proportion,  and 
at  length  a  balance  is  established  between  every  part  of  the 
tree,  making  it  a  dwarf  in  all  respects.  In  some  kinds  of  trees 
this  end  is  reached  in  three  or  four  years  ;  in  others  ten  or  fif- 
teen years  are  necessary.  Such  is  fancy  horticulture  among 
the  Celestials. — Lond.  Pharm.  Journ.,  May*  1864,  from  The 
Technologist. 
DECOMPOSITION  OF  WATER  BY  PHOSPHORUS,  ARSENIC,  AND 
ANTIMONY,  UNDER  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  NITRIC  ACID, 
WITH  PRODUCTION  OF  AMMONIA. 
By  M.  Personne. 
The  solution  of  phosphorus  in  nitric  acid,  concentrated  or 
diluted  with  one  or  two  volumes  of  water,  is,  as  is  well  known, 
effected  with  disengagement  of  nitrous  vapor,  abundant  if  the 
acid  is  concentrated,  and  diminishing  in  proportion  as  it  is  more 
diluted.  In  any  case  if,  when  the  solution  is  effected,  excess  of 
potash  is  added  to  the  hot  solution,  sufficient  ammonia  is  dis- 
engnged  to  become  evident,  both  by  reagents  and  by  its  odor. 
Whether  normal  or  amorphous  phosphorus  is  used  in  this  opera- 
tion, the  phenomena  and  the  products  are  identical. 
It  was  interesting  to  ascertain  whether  the  fact  of  the  pro- 
duction of  ammonia  was  observable  with  the  bodies  forming  part 
of  the  phosphorus  group,  as  arsenic  and  antimony. 
I  operated  with  distilled  arsenic  and  with  antimony  purified 
three  times  by  fusion  with  nitre. 
These  two  bodies  pulverized  and  heated  were  attacked  by 
nitric  acid,  diluted  with  its  volume  of  water.     Under  these  cir- 
