The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-06-15
. N51zNss
JUNE Is. E
About Limestone and Lime as
Fertilizers.
From The American AgricuNurist.

L GI JillA6ESs
From the american Ag7iculturist
No other single topic has recently
brought SO many queries. This is
due to the extraordinary claims of
parties selling ground limestone, or
making machinery Tor grinding it
Limestone is most widely distribu
ted mineral, one of its purest forms
being known as marble, and is found
almost all over the country of vari-
Gus qualities and degrees of purity,
1t is carbonate of lime,-that is
lime combined with barbonic acid.
1t a fragment of lime is placed in a
glass of water, and little strong
acid is added, the carbonic acid is set
free, and we see it pass off as bub-
bles rising through the water. Lime.
stone is so slightly dissolved by wa.
ter that II is tastelesS. IL takes
1900 parts of water TO dissolve one
part of limestone. Water in which
there is much carbonic acid dissolyes
a considerable amount of carbonate
of lime. If small piece of lime.
stone be kept at strong red heat for
some hours, it will be only about half
as heavy as the original stone. What
has it lost in burning? If tested
with acid, as before, no bubbles of gas
will be given Off: The heat has
driven out all the carbonic acid it
is no longer a carbonate of lime,
but simply lime Ian oxide OF The
metal calcium, or calcic oxide as the
chemists have it). Limestone burned
in kilns produces lime, often called
quickline. IT a lump of freshly
burned lime have water gradually
put upon it, it soon becomes hot.
IN little while it swells up, cracks
and falls into very fine powder;
though much water has been added,
the powder is quite dry. The water
has united with the lime making a
solid, caustic or Stacked lime. Lime
exposed takes up moisture from the
air, and we have air. Stacked lime.
Stacked 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 solution of lime;
that is, the water has taken up all it
can dissolve, for at ordinary temper
AZURE 1t requires 700 parts OF water
to dissolve one part of quick. lime.
1t clear lime water be placed in a
glass, and with a straw or pipe.stem
the breath be forced into ii, the lime
water will soon become clowdy, and
then milky, Set the glass aside, and
a fine white powder will settle at the
bottom, leaving the water clear
above. The breath contains carbonic
acid; this, when forced into the Z
lime water, unites with the lime,
forming carbonated, the same as I'M
burned limestone, which, being little
soluble, separates as white powder
If we continue to breathe into the
lime water after it has become milky,
it will soon become perfectly clear as
at the start. The continued breath.
ing supplies more carbonic acid than
is needed to convert the lime into an
insoluble carbonate; the excess of
carbonic acid in the water re-dis-
solves the carbonate. Heating this
solution drives off the excess of car
bonic acid, and the carbonate of
lime will be deposited again. Car.
bonic acid is always present in the
atmosphere, and when Stacked lime
is long exposed, it takes up this acid
and slowly becomes carbonate of
lime.