American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-12-19

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is, that some actually take up a Ia ger
quantity of itin their food. These crop,
therefore, require the presence of lime in
eleater proportion in the soil, in ord r
that they may be able to obtain it so
readily that no delay may occur in the
1 performance of these functions, or in the
grow h of those parts to which lime is in
dispensable.
THIS substance is usually obtained by
exposing pure limestone or chalk, which
are carbonates of lime, to red heat, and
is then popularity known under the names
of 8toae-lin,e, qnichlime, hot lime, Jnrned
linz, and caustic Time. 1t is also obtain
ed in an impure state, by burning oyster
shells or the shells of other fish, which
converts them into quicklime, and is com
monty called QystersheH lime, or simply
sheliHme.
When stone-l lime is exposed to the air,
it rapidly ahsorbs water, and falls to
pure, white, earthly powder, increasing two
or three times its bulk, ard forminga by
drate OF lime, which is usually known
under the name of air. Stacked or SpoH-
taReonsly stacked lime If little water
be sprinkled upon small piece of well
burned lime, it is instantly absorbed and
the lime slakes, or quenches, and appears
quite dry but, after few moments, it
cracks swells, and crumbles into powder
of hydrate, popularly known as stacked
Pine, sometimes involving sufficient heat
to infame gunpowder, or to char wood
Burned or quicklime is Immediately solu>
bic IN water; unburlcd lime is not so to
any appreciable extent. When pure, it
is soluble in 635 parts of water at 32o f !;
but requires at 800, 778 parts at 1902
972 parts; at 2l2o, 1870 parts for its
solution. A pint of water at 32o, desolv,s
l3i grains; at 500, III grains and at
Zl2", 6 I 10 grains. Hence the propr;ety
| ofemploying cold water for the shaking Of
lime This degree of soluJility is quite
sufficient, Immediately after lining t. e
land, to provide the plants, which, be
SIDES can only bear very dilute solution
of mineral substances without injury,
with an abundant supply of digestible
ime; that is, of course, supposing that
he requisite quantity Of water is present
~ this solution permeates the soil in all
directions, the other actions. which lime
generally is capable Of exercising upon
/ the constituents of the soil, commence and
are continued here more rapidly than wit
he unbumcd kinds Of ca careous ma
uure~. marl and chalk, for instance, which
are fist rendered soluble by the humus
and he csrbon.c acid produced by its de-
composition
Clear limo,watcr has an acrid. slightly
caustic taste, hut when boiled, it becomes
white or turbid Exposed to the air, it
ahsmbs carbouic acid, and becomes GOV,
cred with crystalline rellicle Of car
| Donate of lime On breathing iato trans>
| parentlme water through a glass tube, It
is Immediately rendered turbid, or milky.
by he carbonate of lime produced by the
carbonic acid Of the breath, an excess of
which acid, however, dissolvcs the pre-
cipitated lime, and the water again be
comes clear, 1t is in this way that car
Donate of lime is held in solution ID the
water of almost every river and spring
If lime be perfectly dry, it has little or
no tendency to absorb carbonic acid II
! requires first to be air-slacked;" or oslak
ed" with water, and then the hydrate is
decompoSed, the water being expelled by
the carbonic acid, the absorption Of which
is very rapid, until the lime becomes half
saturated, when a compound is forme /
| known under the name of niM lime, but
after tnat point, its advancement IS very
slow. The term mild is also applied to
lime when it is entirely in a state of car>
Donate, When strongly heated, lime be-
comes phosphorescent, and emits a biil>
liant light, on which account it is some>
times employed for illumination, as in the
Drummond and Gurney lights
CARBONATE OF LIME.
Pure carbonate of lime, when perfectly
dry, which occurs in the form of marble,
or common limestone, consists of lime and
carbonic acid, in the following propor>
tions -
Ter cent
Carbonic acid...........................43
Lime '.'.''''''. '..'''..''..'.u.......... .56.3
100
Time 100 ,,r.un1s of oarbono.o ~ H..