The chemical and physiological balance of organic nature : an essay / by J. Dumas & J.B. Boussingault.
- Jean-Baptiste Dumas
- Date:
- 1844
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The chemical and physiological balance of organic nature : an essay / by J. Dumas & J.B. Boussingault. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![probable that the azote only enters the plant, is only consumed, under the form of ammonia or nitric acid. The experiments of M. Boussingault have shewn that certain plants—the Jerusalem arti- choke among the number—abstract large quan- tities of azote from the air; and, that others, on the contrary, such as wheat, depend upon I manure for the supplies of this element which they require. What an important distinction is this for agriculture! Is it not obvious that | we must begin by raising plants that assimi- [i late the azote of the atmosphere, with these [j feed animals which shall furnish us with ma- I nure, and then apply this to the culture of | those vegetables that are dependent on manure | for their nitrogen ? One of the first problems in agriculture is to I procure supplies of nitrogen at a cheap rate, j] With regard to carbon, there is no cause for I solicitude,—nature has provided that in ample I abundance ; the air and every shower of rain |; are charged with it. But it is otherwise with I reference to nitrogen ; the azote of the air I may be unassimilable, and the ammoniacal | and nitrogenous salts which rain-water con- I tains may not be in sufficient quantity. It is in- i dispensable, therefore, to surround the roots of I almost every plant whose culture is of import- i ance to mankind with manures rich in azote,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22307412_0043.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
