It tends to destroy insects and weeds, and gets rid of acidity of the soil.

At the same time the acidity is markedly reduced.

at the end of the melting down, dephosphorization is then impeded by the temporary acidity of the slag, as just explained.

In 1780 he proved that the acidity of sour milk is due to what was afterwards called lactic acid; and by boiling milk sugar with nitric acid he obtained mucic acid.

This reduction of acidity is partly due to the deposition of various salts of tartaric acid, which are less soluble in a dilute alcoholic medium than in water, and partly to the action of micro-organisms. Young wines differ very widely in their composition according to class and vintage.