The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-03-09
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AROUT LIMESTONE AND
EGME AS FERTILIZERS.

LIME AS FERTELAAESSs
No other single topic has recent
II brought so many queries. This
is due to the extraordinary claims
of parties cling ground Limestone,
or making machinery for grind
ing it. Limestone is a most
Aidely distributed mineral, one
of It's purest forms being known
as marble, and is found almost
all over the country OF various
Qualities and degrees Of purity. 1t
IS & Carbonate of Lime, that is Lime
combined with Carbonic Acid. II
q fragment of Limestone is placed
IN glass of water, and a little
strong acid is added, the Carbonlc
Acid is set free, and we see it pass of
as bubbles rising through the water.
Limestone is so slightly dissolved
By water that it is tasteless. It
ssakes 1900 parts Of water to dis
solve one part Of Limestone. Wa
ter, in which thare is much Carbon
ic Acid, dissolves a considerable
amount of Carbonate of Lime. Il
small piece of Limestone be kept
at a strong red heat for some
hours, it viii be only about half as
heavy as the original stone. What
has i lost in the burning? Il test
ed with acid, as before, no bubbles
Of gas win be given of. The heat
has driven out all the Carbonic
Acid it is no longer Carbonate
of Lime, but simply Lime ian oxide
of the metal Calcium, or Calcic Ok
ide as the chemists have it,
Limestone burned in kilns pro-
duees Lime, often called Quick
lime. IF a lump of freshly burn
ed Lime have water gradually
put upon it, it soon becomes hot,
IN q little while it swells up, cracks
and falls into a very white pow
der though much water has been
added, the powder is quite dry.
The water has united with the
Lime, making solid, Caustic or
Slaked Lime. Lime exposed takes
mp moisture from the air, and we
have Air-slaked Lime. Slaked
Lime with enough water forms
whitewash, or Milk of Lime
On standing, the greater part
of The Lime will settle, leaving
clear Lime-water-a saturated so.
luton of Lime that is, the water
has taken up all it can dissolve, for
at ordinary temperature it requires
zoo paats Of water to dissolve one
part Of Quick lime. If clear Lime
4sgEa
water be placed in a glass, and
with q straw or pipe stem the
breath be forced into it, the Lime
water will soon become cloudy, and
then milky. SeS the glass aside,
and q fine white powder will settle
at the bottom, leaving the water
clear above. The breath contains
Carbonic Acid; this, when forced
into the Lime-water, unites with
the Lime, forming Carbonate, the
same as unburned Limestone,
which, being little soluble, sepa-
rates as a white powder. If we
continue TO breathe into the Lime
water after it has become milky, it
viii soon become perfectly clear
as at the start. The continued
breathing supplies more Carbonic
Acid than is needed to convert the
Lime into an insoluble carbonate ;
the excess Of Carbonic Acid in the
water edissolves the Carbonate.
Heating this solution drives off the
excess of Carbonic Acid, and the
Carbonate of Lime will be deposited
again. Csrbonic Acid is always
present in the atmosphere, and
when slaked Lime is long exposed,
1T takes up this Acid and slowly
becomes Carbonate Of Lime.
GAmericon Agrjcultur1st.
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