588 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. U 



inflamed taper, when in contact with the atmo- 

 Bphere. The proportion in which it combines is re- 

 presented by unity, or 1. It is procured by the 

 action of diluted oil of vitriol, or hydro-sulphuric 

 acid on filings of zinc or iron. It is the substance 

 employed lor filling air-balloons. 



7. j^zote is a gaseous substance, not capable of 

 being condensed by any known degree of cold : its 

 specific gravity is to that of common air as 9516 to 

 10,000. It does not enter into combustion under 

 common circumstances, but may be made to unite 

 with oxj'gen by the agency of electrical fire. It 

 forms nearly four-fifths of the air of the atmo- 

 sphere ; and may be procured by burning phospho- 

 rus in a confined portion of air. The number re- 

 presenting the proportion in which it combines is 

 26. 



8. Carbon is considered as the pure matter of 

 charcoal, and it may he procured by passing spi- 

 rits of wine through a tube heated red. It has not 

 yet been fused ; but raises in vapour at an intense 

 heat. Its specific gravity cannot be easily ascer- 

 tained ; but that of the diamond, which cannot 

 chemically be distinguished from pure carbon, is to 

 that of water as 3500 to 1000. Charcoal has the 

 remarkable property of absorbing several limes 

 its volume of different elastic fluids, which are ca- 

 pable of being expelled fr-om it by heat. The 

 number representing it is 11.4. 



9. Sulphur is the pure substance so well known 

 by that name : its specific gravity is to that nf water 

 as 1990 to 1000. It ilises at about 220° Fahren- 

 heit ; and at between 500° and 600° lakes fire, if 

 in contact with the air, and burns with a pale blue 

 flame. In this process it dissolves in the oxygen 

 of the air, and produces a peculiar acid elastic fluid. 

 The number representing it is 30. 



10. Phosphorus is a solid of a pale red color, of 

 specific gravity 1770. It fijses at gO*-', and boils at 

 550°. It is luminous in the air at common tem- 

 peratures, and burns with great violence at 150°, 

 so that it must be handled with great caution. The 

 number representing it is 222. It is procured by 

 digesting together bone ashes and oil of vitriol, and 

 strongly heating the fluid substance so produced 

 with powdered charcoal. 



11. Boron is a solid of a dark olive color, in- 

 fusible at any known temperature. It is a sub- 

 stance very lately discovered, and procured from 

 boracic acid. It burns with brilliant sparks, when 

 heated in oxygen, but not in chlorine. Its specific 

 gravity, and the number representing it, are not 

 yet accurately known. 



12. Silicon* is procured from silica, or the earth 

 of flints, by the action of potassium : it appears as 

 a dark fawn-colored powder, which is inflammable, 

 and which produces silica by combustion. It de- 

 composes water and acids ; and detonates when 

 heated with alkaline carbonates. It is more analo- 

 gous to boron in its properties and chemical ha- 

 bitudes than to any other substance. 32 is an 

 approximation to the number representing silicon. 



13. Selenion, or, as M. Berzelius, the discoverer, 

 names it, selenium, is a substance which forms a 

 sort of intermediate link between the inflammable 



* According: to the more recent experiments of Ber- 

 zelius, pure silicon IS of a dark nut-brown color; a 

 non-conductor of electricity: incombustible even in 

 oxygen gas, and infusible before the blow-pipe. It de- 

 flagrates, and even explodes, when thrown into fused 

 hydrate of potash or soda. — J. D. 



solids and the metals. It is semi-transparent, of a 

 red color, a non-conductor of electricity, of spe- 

 cific gravity about 4300. 



14. Platinum is one ofthe noble metals, of rather 

 a duller white than silver, and the heaviest body in 

 nature ; its specific gravity being 21,500. It is" not 

 acted upon by any acid menstrua except such as 

 contain chlorine ; it requires an intense degree of 

 heat for its fusion. 



15. The properties of gold are well known. Its 

 specific gravity is 19,277. It bears the same re- 

 lation to acid menstrua as platinum : it is one of 

 the characteristics of both these bodies, that they 

 are very difficultly acted upon by sulphur. 



16. Silver is of specific gravity 10,400 ; it burns 

 more readily than platinum or gold, which re- 

 quire the intense heat of electricity. It readily 

 unites to sulphur. The number representing it is 



17. Mercury is the only known metal fluid at 

 the common temperature ofthe atmosphere; it 

 boils at 660°, and freezes at 39° below 0. Its spe- 

 cific ffravity is 13,560. The number representing 

 it is 380. 



18. Copper is of specific gravity 8890. It burns, 

 when strongly heated, with red flame, tinged with 

 green. The number representing it is 120. 



19. Cobalt is of specific gravity 7700. Its point 

 of fusion is very high, nearly equal to that of iron. 

 In its calcined, or oxidated state, it is employed for 

 giving a blue color to glass. 



20. Nickel is of a white color: its specific gra- 

 vity is 8820. This metal and cobalt agree with 

 iron, in being attraclible by the magnet. The 

 number representing nickel is 111. 



21. Iro7i is of specific gravity 7700. Its other 

 properties are well known. The number repre- 

 senting it is 103. 



22. Tin is of specific gravity 7291 ; it is a very 

 fusible metal, arrd burns when ignited in the air: 

 the number representing the proportion in which 

 it combines is 110. 



23. Cadmium is a newly discovered metal, very 

 similar to tin in its sensible properties, of specific 

 gravity about 9000, and is very flisible and vola- 

 tile. 



24. Zinc is one of the most combustible of the 

 common metals. Its specific gravity is about 7210. 

 It is a brittle metal undercommon circumstances ; 

 but when heated may be hammered or rolled into 

 thin leaves, and after this operation is malleable. 

 The number representing it is QQ. 



25. Lead is of specific gravity 11,352 ; it fuses 

 at a temperature rather higher than tin. The 

 number representing it is 398. 



26. Bismuth is a brittle metal of specific gravity 

 9,822. It is nearly as fusible as tin; when cooled 

 slowly it crystallises in cubes. The number re- 

 presenting it is 135. 



27. Antimony is a metal capable of being vo- 

 latilised by a strong red heat. Its specific gravity 

 is 6.800. It burns, when ignited, xvith a faint 

 white light. The number representing it is 170. 



28. Arsenic is of a blueish white color, of spe- 

 cific gravity 8310. It may be procured by heating 

 the powder of common white arsenic ofthe shops 

 strongly in a Florence flask with oil. The metal 

 raises in vapor, and condenses in the neck of the 

 flask. The number representing it is 90. 



29. Manganesum may be procured from the 

 mineral called manganese, by intensely igniting it 



