LIME 



DYE. See CALICO-PRINTING ; DYEING ; and ANILINE. 

 WOOD. See BRAZIL WOOD. 



THE. The Citrus Limetta, yielding the lime-juice so much esteemed for 

 flavouring sherbet, punch, &c. 



LIME. QuicMme, an Oxide of Calcium. This useful substance is prepared by 

 burning calcareous stones in kilns or furnaces. 



Limestone used to be calcined in a very rude kiln, formed by inclosing a circular 

 space of 10 or 15 feet diameter, by rude stone walls 4 or 5 feet high, and filling 

 the cylindrical cavity with alternate layers of turf or coal and limestone broken 

 into moderate pieces. A bed of brushwood was usually placed at the bottom, to 

 facilitate the kindling of the kiln. Whenever the combustion was fairly commenced, 

 the top, piled into a conical form, was covered in with sods, to render the calcina- 

 tion slow and regular. This method being found relatively inconvenient and 

 ineffectual, was succeeded by a permanent kiln built of stones or brickwork, in the 

 shape of a truncated cone with the narrow end undermost, and closed at bottom by 

 an iron grate. Into this kiln, the fuel and limestone were introduced at the top in 

 alternate layers, beginning of course with the former ; and the charge was either 

 allowed to burn out, when the layer was altogether removed at a door near the bottom, 

 or the kiln was successively fed with fresh materials, in alternate beds, as the former 

 supply sunk down by the calcination, while the thoroughly-burnt lime at the bottom 

 was successively raked out by a side door immediately above the grate. The interior 

 of the lime kiln has been changed of late years from the conical to the elliptical form, 

 and probably the best is that of an egg placed with its narrow end undermost, and 

 truncated both above and below ; the ground plot or bottom of the kiln being com- 

 pressed so as to give an elliptical section, with an eye or draft-hole towards each end 

 of that ellipse. A kiln thus arched in above gives a reverberatory heat to the upper 

 materials, and also favours their falling freely down in proportion as the finished 

 lime is raked out below ; advantages which the conical form does not afford. The 

 size of the draft-holes for extracting the quicklime, should be proportionate to the sizo 

 of the kiln, in order to admit a sufficient current of air to ascend with the smoke and 

 flame, which is found to facilitate the extrication of the carbonic acid. The kilns are 

 called perpetual, because the operation is carried on continuously as long as the build- 

 ing lasts ; and draw-kilns, from the mode of discharging them by raking out the lime 

 into carts placed against the draft-holes. Three bushels of calcined limestone, or 

 lime-shells, are produced on an average for every bushel of coals consumed. Such 

 kilns should be built up against the face of a cliff, so that easy access may be 

 gained to the mouth for charging, by making a sloping cart-road to the top of the 

 bank. 



Figs. 1386, 1387, 1388, 1389, represent the lime-kiln of Eiidersdorf near Berlin, upon 

 the continuous plan, excellently constructed for economising fuel. It is triple, and 

 yields a threefold product. Fig. 1388 is a view of it as seen from above; fig. 1389, 

 the elevation and general appearance of one side; fig. 1386, a vertical section, and 

 fig. 1387, the ground plan in the line A B c D of Jiff. 1386. The inner shaft fig. 1386, 

 has the form of two truncated cones, with their larger circular ends applied to each 

 other ; it has the greatest width at the level of the fire-door b, where it is 8 feet in 

 diameter ; it is narrower below, at the discharge door, and at the top orifice, where it 

 is about 6 feet in diameter. The interior wall d, of the upper shaft is built with hewn 

 stones to the height of 38 feet, and below that for 25 feet, with fire-bricks d' d', laid 

 stepwise. This inner wall is surrounded with a mantle e, of limestone, but between 

 the two there is a small vacant space of a few inches filled with ashes, in order to 

 allow of the expansion of the interior with heat taking place without shattering the 

 mass of the building. 



The fire-grate, b, consists of fire-tiles, which at the middle, where the single pieces 

 press together, lie upon an arched support /. The fire-door is also arched, and is secured 

 by fire-tiles, g is the iron door in front of that orifice. The tiles which form the grate 

 have 3 or 4 slits of an inch wide for admitting the air, which enters through the canal h. 

 The under part of the shaft from the fire to the hearth is 7 feet, and the outer enclosing 

 wall is constructed of limestone, the lining being of fire-bricks. Here are the ash- 

 pit i, the discharge outlet a, and the canal k, in front of the outlet. Each ash-pit is 

 shut with an iron door, which is opened only when the space i becomes filled with 

 ashes. These indeed are allowed to remain till they get cool enough to be removed 

 without inconvenience. 



The discharge outlets are also furnished with iron doors, which are opened only for 

 taking out the lime, and are carefully luted with loam during the burning. The outer 

 walls I m n of the kiln, are not essentially necessary, but convenient, because they afford 

 room for the lime to lie in the lower floor, and the fuel in the second. The several 

 stories are formed of groined arches o, and platforms p, covered over with limestone 



