FARMERS' REGISTER— MEXICAN PIGGERIES. 



365 



sion of the acid. The small end of the tube C, 

 now removed from the cork, is dipped into some 

 muriatic acid in a wine glass, and the piston 

 moved baci<vvards and forwards until tlie necessary 

 (juantity of acid has been drawn in. The tube is 

 then replaced in the cork, and in this state the in- 

 strument is counterpoised by weights in the oppo- 

 site scale. The piston being then gradually forced 

 in, the acid is injected drop by drop upon the marl, 

 and the gas escapes by tlie tube B, depositing the 

 aqueous vapor in its passage, on the nmriate of 

 lime. Allowing the apparatus to rest until the 

 gas has entirely escaped, and the decomposition is 

 complete, the equilibrium is restored by placing 

 weights upon the clear top of the cork, or by re- 

 movmg weights from the scale. In this way the 

 weight of the disengaged gas is accurately deter- 

 mined, and the proportion of carbonate of lime 

 thence computed. 



An analysis ot a specimen of marl from James 

 City, just completed, will serve as an illustration 

 of the method. Ten grains of the finely powdered 

 marl was introduced with a little water into the 

 vessel A, the instrument was then charged and 

 equipoised. The acid being injected, the whole 

 was allowed to rest lor an hour. The weight 

 lost was 2.91 grains. Increasing this in the ratio 

 of 44 to 100, gives 6.61 grains of carbonate of lime 

 in the 10 grains of marl — or almost precisely 66 

 per cent. 



The frequent calls upon me for the analysis of 

 specimens of marl, first led me to the construc- 

 tion of this apparatus, and I have since found it 

 so convenient and accurate, that I can recommend 

 its adoption to such of your readers as may have 

 a taste for chemical inquiries connected with ag- 

 riculture. Any ordinary worker in glass will con- 

 struct the inslrument, and skill in manipulating 

 with it may be soon and easily acquired. 



WM. B. ROGERS. 



[Tlie farmers who are using marl will be greatly 

 indebted to Professor Rogers for the convenient and 

 cheap little apparatus above described — which, judging 

 from his description, not only furnishes the cheapest 

 and most convenient, but likewise the most accurate 

 mode of analysing calcarecfus manures. It may be 

 easily constructed by any worker in glass — so easily 

 indeed, that Mr. Rogers made his own by the heat of 

 an Argand lamp, using a few common glass tubes as 

 materials. Everj' farmer who uses calcareous manures 

 ouglit to have some means for testing their strength, 

 and this seems to be completely within the power of 

 all to obtain, and to make use of, with very little atten- 

 tion. But thoug'i the process, as above described, is 

 sufliciently plain to all who have the slightest know- 

 ledge of the chemical properties of the substances 

 used, it may appear unintelligible to others; and there- 

 fore we hope that the following explanations may be 

 pardoned by those to whom they are altogether useless. 



The principle upon which the apparatus works, is 

 the same as that of the more expensive and complicated 

 apparatus of Davy, (described in his AgriciiUurul 

 Chemistry) which we have heretofore considered the 

 best — that is, by separating and ascertaining the weight 

 of the carbonic acid combined with the lime of the 

 manure. Every hundred grains of calcareous earth or 



carbonate of lime, is composed always of similar pro- 

 portions of lime and of carbonic acid — which propor- 

 tions, by weight, are 56 parts of lime, and 44 of car- 

 bonic acid. Of course, if we know how much weight 

 is lost in 100 grains of earth partly of carbonate of 

 lime, (as marl,) by driving off its carbonic acid, the 

 rule of proportion will show what was the amount of 

 carbonate of lime contained in the sample of earth. 



When the muriatic acid reaches the earth in the 

 bulb, it immediately combines with the lime by its 

 greater attraction, and the weaker carbonic acid is 

 disengaged in the form of gas, and escapes into the air 

 through the tube containing the dry muriate of lime — 

 which substance attracts moisture so powerfully, as to 

 retain all that might otherwise pass out with the gas. 

 The same muriate of lime will serve for many experi- 

 ments, as by being heated in the tube, its dryness is 

 restored previous to every trial. This salt is formed 

 by the combination of muriatic acid with lime — and 

 therefore every experimenter may provide it for him- 

 self, by filtering and evaporating the fluid left in this 

 process of decomposing carbonate of lime.] 



MEXICAN PIGGERIES. 



[The following article furnishes the account of the 

 Mexican piggeries, of which a correspondent made in- 

 quiry in a former number of the Farmers' Register. It 

 may serve to amuse our readers — but it is not likely to 

 induce any to place their pigs upon so princely an estab- 

 lishment.] 



From Bullock's Travels in Me.\ico. 



"In the piggeries, they will have from 800 to 

 1000 swine in number confined in styes of well 

 built sheds, about 30 feet deep, with roofs descend- 

 ing very low; and having the entrance through 

 low arches, before which is an open space the 

 whole length of the j-ard, and about 24 feet wide, 

 in the centre of which is a kind of aqueduct, built 

 of stone, and filled with clean water; supplied from 

 a well at the end of the premises. The hogs can 

 only put their noses into this water through holes 

 in the wall, which prevents their dirtying it, as it 

 passes through the whole division of the yard. 

 This is the only liquid given them: and their food, 

 maize or Indian corn, slightly moistened, and scat- 

 tered at stated hours on the ground, which in the 

 yard as well as the place where they sleep is per- 

 fectly dry and clean. Two Indian lads are em- 

 ployed, from morning till night, in settling disputes, 

 or little bickerings, that may arise among the hap- 

 py inhabitants of this community, and in singing 

 them to sleep. The boys are chosen for the 

 strength of their lungs, and their taste and judge- 

 ment in delighting the ears and lulling the senses 

 of this amiable harmonic society; — and succeed 

 each other in chaunting during the whole day, to 

 the great delight and edification of the audience, 

 who seem fully to appreciate the merits of the per- 

 formers. The proprietor of one of those estab- 

 lishments himself attended us, and explained the 

 use of the various apartments. He assured me 

 that the premises cost him 60,000 dollars, and that 

 his sales amounted to about 2000 dollars per week; 

 indeed, his display of diamonds, and his three 

 splendid carriages whh fine horses standing in the 

 yard, bespoke him a man of some opulence and 



