No. 10. 



Analysis of Limestone. 



309 



ponds in character with the great limestone 

 range of Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and 

 Lancaster counties, and, no douht, that found 

 still farther west presents the same general 

 characteristic marks. 



No. 1. Colour, light bluish-grey, with 

 dark streaks, interspersed with small surfaces 

 of crystalline lustre. Lustre, dull. Fracture, 

 in one direction straight, somewhat splintery, 

 in the other, smooth, with a tendency to 

 the conchoidal structure. Very compact ; 

 streak, greyish white. Specific gravity 3.028. 



ANALYSIS. 



Carbonate of lime - - 

 Carbonate of magnesia - 

 Iron and alumina - - - 

 Silica -.-.-. 



57.05 

 41.36* 

 1.80 

 .73 



100.94 



No. 2, A clouded marble from Dager & 

 Potts's quarry, near Spring Mill, Mont- 

 gomery county. 



Colour. It presents irregular interlami- 

 nations of dark grey, with white, the whole 

 interspersed with crystalline surfaces. Frac- 

 ture, irregular. Lustre, the crystals shining, 

 pearly. Structure, compact, granular. Streak, 

 very light grey. Specific gravity 2.646. 



ANALYSIS. 



Carbonate of lime - - 

 Iron and alumina - - - 

 Black insoluble residuum 



No. 3. Marble from John R. Thomas's 

 quarry, near Downingtown, Chester county. 

 Texture, granular. Fracture, in one direc- 

 tion roughly conchoidal ; in the other irregu- 

 lar, somewhat splintery. Colour, white, 

 with a light shade of grass green. Specific 

 gravity 2.71. 



ANALYSIS. 



Carbonate of lime - - - 93.40 



Carbonate of magnesia - 4.22 



Iron and alumina- - - - 1.00 



Silica, chlorite, &c. - - - 3.80 



102.42 



No. 4. An impure limestone from Joseph 

 Smith's, East Whiteland, Chester county ; 

 a surface specimen. 



Colour, dark grey, coarsely mottled with 

 white, and exhibiting much talc. Fracture, 

 very irregular. Structure somewhat compact, 



* Every farmer should ascertain the nature of his 

 lime before he uses it in aericiilture, as there are many 

 extensive districts where the lime is contaminated by 

 magnesia, which renders it injurious to the growth ot 

 vegetables.— Parie's Chemical Catechism.. 



and (where free from talc) granular. Streak, 

 lead grey. Specific gravily 3.GG7. 



ANALYSIS. 



Carbonate of lime - - 

 Carbonate of magnesia 

 Iron and alumina - - 

 Silica and talc - - . 



- 85.30 



- 5.28 



- 3.00 



- 8.H0 



102.38 



The above specimens were analyzed by 

 John F. Frazer, during the winter of 1837-38, 

 with great skill and care, and from the num- 

 ber of examinations made there is every 

 reason to believe the results arc sul)stantially 

 correct. Some of our farmers are probably 

 not aware that marble is only a finer variety 

 of granular and compact limestone, which, 

 being of a closer grain, is suscp))tible of a 

 superior polish ; and where marble is quar- 

 ried there is a great accumulation of refuse 

 stone, which may readily be converted into a 

 very pure lime, for agricultural or otlier pur- 

 poses. This description of lime fnU.-i much 

 more readily than ihal burnt from the magne- 

 sian limestone, and when fallen, it has the 

 appearance of coarse sand, which easily 

 slacks by the application of water, when it 

 is reduced to an impalpable powder. It is 

 very desirable that a series of accurate experi- 

 ments should be made with this description 

 of lime, in order to compare its advan- 

 tages with that burnt from the common 

 limestone. 



Should any of the correspondents of the 

 Farmers' Cabinet possess information calcu- 

 lated to enlighten farmers on the subject of 

 the advantages of the ditferent kinds of lime, 

 they would confer an especial favour by 

 communicating it for public use. 



Agricola. 



An estimable correspondent suggests the 

 propriety of setting apart a very large room 

 in the Patent office at Washington, in which 

 to deposit the numerous macliines wliich 

 have been patented, and found not to answer 

 the end designed. The keeper should be 

 instructed to attach to each a written state- 

 ment of its defects; and every one applying 

 for a patent should be required to visit this 

 room, and examine its contents, before a 

 patent is granted. He thinks the money 

 saved by this plan, both to the patentee and 

 the community, would soon amount to a 

 very large sum. — Ed. 



It is said that fresh meat may be pre- 

 served free from taint for many months, by 

 keeping it immersed in molasses. 



