The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-20
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.

Bones are the phosphate OF lime; so is beautiful
crystal called apetiie This crystal is found IN granite
rocks is OF green color hexhedra shape, and resem
bes the benl and emerald The phosphate OF lime con-
situies part OF mari BEDS and greatly increases the
fenizing power ef that powerful fertilizer II Is also
one ingredient oil milk In these various relations ex-
lists in no small abundance, and performs unmporaDt
agency either in animate nanimae cfeaon. II surely
ought to be known at least by every farmer, ana oil
course taught TO every farmers and daughter too
'Derbyshe spar is the iuae OF lime II receves beau
tiiul polish and is much used for and other mate
ornaments. also appears IN beautiful ysals bon IN
regular cubes and octahedrons, or equal eght-sided
CRYSTALS precisely the shape Of alum crystals. easily
formed by dissolvag alum in hot water, leaving the
mass while cooling, to arrange Us PARTICLES around wire
put into the form OF card basket, or any other fancy
article preferred Nitrate OF lime is another calcaeous
formation less abundant and less useful than either oil the
other ates before named.
Each OF the lime formations given is composed OF
three elements, or ultimate principles Two Of these ele
nents are the 10 a-oxygen and calcium, or the
oxyde OF calcium The other elenents entering severay
into the compounds carbon, sulphur, phosphorus,
nuorne and nitrogen which, after being acfed by the
agency Of oxygen, combining each with the same
oxyde, form the carbonate. suphae, phosphate, fuae.
and nitrate oil lime.
All these lime formations except the nitrate frequently
appear in beautiful crystals Some OF the carbonate crys-
tails are rhombc spar, pearl SPAR dogooth SPAR tabular
spar satin spar, aragonte and others, amounting in the
whole 10 two or three hundred distinct crystalline forms
Of The carbonate Of lime Some oil the crystals Of the
suphate OF lime selenlte (moon stonel hbIous gyp
sum- rad'aed gypsum, anhydoas gypsum, &C. ahe pm,
apetile already named in the form OF x-slded prism
mol often more than an inch or two in diameter. The
phosphate of on sometimes presents interesting crystal.
line forms
Some Of The most beautiful and instructive exhibitions
OF the wonderful science OF crysallography in te
uate OF lime The two principal crystals are those al
ready named--the cube and octahedron-vz six and
eight sided figures By cleavage. these two crystals
be changed from to the otherhe cube into the oc-
tahedroD or the oetahedron into the cube Both these
CRYSTALS and their process OF transformation, beau
tifuly exhibited by specimens formed OF paseboard
with great skill and TASTE the richest possible amuse
ment Of some girls in school in Washington for the
4 scholars fair in New York They were much admired
and largely commented upon by the crowd Of visitors
ExPERIMENT.-Divde piece OF thin pasteboard into
equiatera trangles figures with three equal Sides say
by the point Of knife, for the convenience of folding
them into various desired forms boxes. Thus pre-.
pared the paper be readily folded into shapes to Illus
(sulphate OF alnnina) gold, iron lead, and very
merous other minerals.