Year: 1867

pit, it slowly absorbs moisture from the
air, without developing much heat, in
creases in weight, swells, ard gradually
falls to powder. In this case, it is said
to be atr-sfached, or spontaneously slack
Ell. La rich lines, the increase of bulk
may be from 3 to 81 times; but in the
poorer varieties, or such as contain much
foreign matter, the increase may be less
than twice their bulk.


If water be sprinkled or thrown upon
the kind of lime named. above, or if it be
immersed in water for short time, and
then withdrawn, it absorbs the water, be-
comes hot, cracks, swells, throws off much
watery vapor, and falls down in a short
time to bulky, more or less white, and
almost impalpable powder. When the
thirsty lime has thus fallen, it is said to
be Stacked, or quenehed. IF more water
be added, it is no longer drunk in" but
forms with the lime paste, and, ifsharp
sand be added, mortar is formed. In
Stacking, the water combines chemically
with the lime; 3 pounds of which, when
pure, take up pound of water, and give
pounds of pulverulent, slaked lime
The more gphotud and complete the oper-
alton of slacking,the finer the powder of
the lime will be, and consequently the
more equally ID may be incorporated with
the SOIL Either excess or deficiency of
water interferes with the uniform slack
ing. These effects are more or less rapid
ana striking, accordingto the quality of
the lime, and the time that has been al
owed to elapse after the burning, before
the water was applied. All lime becomes
difficult to slake when it has been for
long time exposed to, the air. When the
stacking is rapid las in the rich lines, the
heat produced is sufficient to kinde gun
powder strewn npon it, and the increase
OF bulk as before stated is from 2 to 81
times. If the water be thrown on so
rapidly or inssuch quantity as to chill the
lime or any part of it. the pow der will
be gritty, will contain many little Jumps,
which refuse to slack, and will also be
less bulky and less minutely divided, and
therefore less fitted either for agricultur,
al or building purpdseb.


1t may be received as general rule,
however, that the best mode of stacking
lime for agricultural purposes, is that
which gives it the greatest, and reduces
it to the most minute state of division
For the following reasons, the spontaneous
method is preferred by many, as it is
thought to. be more economical and has
better effect en- the crops to which it is
applied. First, it causes the lime to fall
to the finest powder; and secondly, it is
the least expensive, requiring less care
and attention, and exposes the lime least
to become "chilled' and gritty; but when
thus left to itself, it should be laid up in
heaps, covered with sods, and allowed to
remain sufficient time to slack, in order
to prevent the surface of the heaps from
being chilled, or the whole converted in
to mortar by large or continued falls of
rain: also to exclude the too free access
of the air, which gradually brings back
the lime to half state of carbonate
Hence, the lime may be laid up in heaps
in the field in the winter, covered with
sods, and left until it has completely fall
len, or until che time Is convenient for
laying it upon the land, in spring or sum-
mer, when preparing for the ensuing
crops,


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