Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-01-01

with oil. On lighting the paper or cotton,
place over it large empty lumbler. The
combustion continues for few seconds,
and when it is exinguished the water oc-
cupies about one fifth Of the space in the
tumbIer, showing the necessity of oxygen
for combustion, and that it constitutes about
one fifth the air we breathe. What man,
woman, or child would not like to be fami-
liarly acquainted with an element so abun-
dant and an agent so active as oxygen, es-
pecally when such an acquaintance is equal
Y simple, useful and delightful?
Nos.
Rocks are the oxydes Of metals. Slick,
the most abundant Ingredient in rocks.
mountains, and soils, in the oxyde OF sill
cium.-This oxyde constitutes nearly one
half of the solid matter Of our globe. 1t is
the principal element Of quartz, in all its
varieties which are exceedingly numerous,
and some of them very beautiful. Quartz
is the only mineral found everywhere. Sand
is pulverized quartz Pebbles are fragments
Of quartz rounded by a!triion. Gunfint
is quartz, breaking with conchoidal (shelI
like) fracture. Jasper is red quartz, with
fine compact texture. Amethyst is purple
quartz, frequently found in siX-sided crystal,
which is the common shape Of quartz crys-
tails in its differen, varieties. Agate is cloud
ed quartz, in numerous varieties, some Of
which are used for wa,ch-seals, finger-rngs,
breast-pns, and other ornament. Corne-
lian is quartz of a fine texture and Of vel
lowish red color.-Chacedony, bloods,one,
catseye, and many other gems, are vaieties
Of quartz.
Most, perhaps all, the gems used in the
breast-pla'e of Aaron, the high priest we're
quartz Of different textures, colores and hues.
The precious stone presented by Queen of
Sheba to The King of Israel were probably
quartz. The stones mentioned in the Book
Of Revelations as forming the streets Of the
New Jerusalem, with all the gems referred
TO were but varieties OF the stones used for
paving our streets and Of the earth moved
by the plough and the hoe of the farmer,
and Of the dirt carter for filling our docks.
The colorlng matter giving most Of the
beautiful hues 10 gems, and an endless va
Iriety of colors to quartz. is the oxyde Of
iron. The oxyde of siicium and the OK
yde OF iron are hence united in this this same
most abundant mineral in the world.
Next 10 quartz, ieldspar or clay formed
by the decomposition Of feldspar, is the
most abundant element Of soils. This too,
is composed Of several oxydes Of metals in
chemical combination. Felispar is also
very extensively united with quartz in the
formation of rocks, moi by chemical COM
binaion, but mechanical mixture Tue
feldspar and the quartz can be separated by
the hammer. Not SO with The oxygen and
|silicium, forming sllex.-Chemics agency
alone can separate chemical combinations.
Such combinations in rocks: soils, and other
mineral bodies, are exceedingly numerous,
implicated, and delcate.-The most COM
mon stone that meets the eye in any part
of the world is composed of two oxydes.
The oxygen and the metals are each united
by chemical affinity, and then the two OK
ydes are again combined by the same agen-
cy TO form a "common stone," evidently
worthy of more respec! than it commonly
receives.
An experiment: Pour upon a little
pesrlash in ,umbler some strong vinegar.
An effervescence will follow. producing
carbonic acid. A burning candle immersed
will be ex,ingnished, showing that carbon
ic acid is fatal TO combustion. 1t is equal
ly so 10 lie.