134  MANUFACTURE  OF  COMMERCIAL  CARBONATE  OF  AMMONIA. 
are  rapidly  absorbed  by  the  water,  with  the  formation  of  a 
strong  solution  of  hydrocyanate  and  carbonate  of  ammonia. 
In  1849  Mr.  Hills  took  out  a  patent  for  obtaining  carbonate 
of  ammonia  from  guano.  To  effect  this  the  guano  is  first  mixed 
with  charcoal  or  powdered  coke  ;  the  mixture  is  then  heated, 
and  the  carbonate  obtained  by  sublimation.  Peat  has  been  ex- 
perimented on  for  the  production  of  this  salt ;  whether  it  will 
be  an  economical  process  remains  to  be  proved.  Mr.  Hills  took 
out  a  patent  for  obtaining  ammonia  from  peat,  and  Mr.  Eees 
Eeece  in  1849  also  had  a  patent  very  much  like  Mr.  Hills'. 
The  first  part  of  the  patent  is  for  an  invention  for  causing 
peat  to  be  burned  in  a  furnace  by  the  aid  of  a  blast,  so  as  to 
obtain  inflammable  gases,  tarry  and  other  products.  The  tarry 
products  may  be  employed  to  obtain  parafhne  and  oils  for 
lubricating  machinery,  &c,  and  the  other  products  may  be 
made  available  for  evolving  ammonia,  wood  spirit,  and  other 
matters  by  any  of  the  existing  processes.  On  July  27,  1849,  a 
statement  was  made  in  the  House  of  Commons  to  the  effect  that 
100  tons  of  peat  would  produce  2602  pounds  of  carbonate  of 
ammonia. 
In  1841  Mr.  Laming  took  out  a  patent  for  manufacturing 
carbonate  of  ammonia  by  mixing  its  separate  acid  and  alkaline 
constituent,  instead  of  by  the  decomposition  of  ammoniacal 
salt.  One  of  the  processes  used  is  to  cause  ammonia  and  car- 
bonic acid  gas  obtained  separately  from  any  convenient  sources 
to  traverse  a  succession  of  leaden  chambers  maintained  at  as 
cool  a  temperature  as  may  be  conveniently  practicable,  and  so 
continued  as  to  favor  the  admixture  of  the  dissimilar  gases.  In 
this  process  it  is  not  essential  that  the  two  gases  be  present  in 
their  combining  proportions  ;  it  is  preferable  that  the  carbonic 
acid  be  in  greater  abundance  than  will  combine  with  the 
ammonia  which  is  present.  Sometimes  a  stratum  of  water,  or 
of  water  impregnated  with  ammonia,  is  placed  in  one  or  more 
of  the  leaden  chambers.  Carbonic  acid  and  ammonia  in  the 
form  of  gas  are  then  introduced ;  in  which  case,  it  is  stated,  a 
larger  proportion  of  carbonic  acid  gas  is  found  in  the  resulting 
salt,  or  saline  solution,  than  when  only  the  hygrometric  mois- 
ture of  the  aeriform  fluid  is  present.  Mr.  Laming  also  converts 
