1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



6S5 



Dr. Perrine is correct in his supposilion that 

 after a short course of tillage, the present small 

 productive power of these excessively calcareous 

 soils will be destroyed and lost; and then they 

 will probably remain ior ever after barren, naked, 

 and uninhabitable "sand banks," which designa- 

 tion is already applied by unobservant or igno- 

 rant voyagers to some of these islets which scarce- 

 ly have a grain of sand in their composition. 

 Knowledge of the subject of calcareous manures 

 and earth°would be scarcely less important for this 

 peculiarly calcareous region (and also the south- 

 ern prairie lands in general,) where the abundance 

 of this earth is the greatest evil in the soil, than in 

 the other great region where it is altogether want- 

 ing, and to obtain it, is the great desideratum for 

 the defective soils. 



The suggestion made in the foregoing commu- 

 nication of the need of a "condensed publication 

 of all the striking fticts developed and published on 

 the use of carbonate of lime," has before been 

 under consideration. The object will hereafter 

 be best reached by another and much extended 

 edition of the 'Essay on Calcareous Manures,' in 

 which will be embraced all the interesting and va- 

 luable facts which have been observed or estab- 

 lished since the publication of the last edition. 



—Ed. F. R. 



Geary's patent coal. 



From the Mechanics' Magazine. 

 The formation of an artificial fuel has for some 

 time past occupied no small portion of the attention 

 of scientific minds. The high price of the natural 

 mineral— the creat space it requires for stowage 

 —the quantity of its relijse and the nuisance ol its 

 smoke, were amongst the disadvantages which it 

 was soucrht to be overcome by some artificial com- 

 bination^'of combustible matters. We have from 

 time to time published accounts ofthe various pa- 

 tented methods of manufacturing artificial fiiel and 

 coal, and of various experimental usings ihereol 

 for steam engines and other purposes, to which we 

 have now to add, the particulars relating to another 

 composition invented by Mr. Stephen Geary the 

 s\ rch i tcct 



Mr. Geary's artificial coal consists of a mixture 

 of the following ingredients:— First, about half of 

 small coal, or coal-dust; second, pitch, or bitumi- 

 nous matter obtained from coal, or other mineral 

 or vegetable tar; third, coal or coke cinders, pow- 

 dered'^peat, or baik of trees, sawdust ot tan ; fourth, 

 powered clay, iVeeslone, chalk, plaster, earth, 

 sand, or other earthy matters; and lastly, about a 

 fortieth-part of some acid— sulphuric acid, as the 

 cheapest, is that which is used by Mr. Geary. 



The coal is manufactured in the (bllowin2 man- 

 ner :— The pilch is to be melted in a pot, and the 

 cinders gradually introduced— stirring constantly. 

 The powdered clay is next to be added gradually, 

 then one-half of the small coal ; as soon as these 

 matters are well amalgamated — being kept at a 



(Tood heat during the operation— the acid is to be 

 poured in, and well stirred through. An efferves- 

 cence will in a short time lake place, producing a 

 froth on the surface of the mixture ; and as soon 

 as this appears, add the remainder of the small 

 coal. The mixture ofthe ingredients having been 

 completed, the fluid mass must be kept in a slate 

 of a'ritcition by stirring until the whole is well and 

 equaTly heated. The mixture may then be run 

 into moulds of anv desired shape. When ihe 

 niixiure has becorne partially cool, pressure or 

 beating may be applied in order to compress the 

 l.locks^of fuel into as small a compass as possible. 

 The pressure or beating is not essential, except in 

 cases where the coal is intended to be used as 

 steam-boat fuel, where stowage room is valuable. 

 The ingredient in this composition, which is 

 new, and from the action of which on the other 

 component parts, the beneficial qualities of Mr. 

 Geary's fuel result, is the acid; and he claims this 

 addition of an acid or acids to the other matters 

 which have all been used belbre, as constituting 

 his patent. 



Some specimens of coal thus manufactured were 

 submitted to Professor Brande lor his examination 

 and opinion, who reported as follows ; — 



'• That it burns well, kindles readily, and has 

 most ofthe characters of some of ihe bituminous 

 coals. It underiroes combustion rather more ra- 

 pidly than the ordinary Newcastle coal, but ap- 

 pears to give out as much heat and to form a 

 brisk, airreeable,and efficient fire, and I apprehend 

 no objection to it on the score of smell, dust, smoke, 

 soot or ashes, and it is entirely free from any qual- 

 ity prejudicial to health. 



" I have no doubt thil it might be available in 

 the manufacture of gas and coke, but whether 

 economically or not is a question which I have no 

 means of determining. 



" Accurately to ascertain the relative value of 

 this fijel, as compared with the ordinary varieties 

 of coal, would require a series of experiments upon 

 a larger scale than I have been enabled to under- 

 takcj'^but from the trials which [ have made of it, 

 it appears to me to compete with the superior 

 kinds of coal, and if so, the greater number of itis^ 

 applications to inlerior purposes are matters of 

 comparatively little moment." 



Mr. Squire (chemist in ordinary to her Majesty) 

 also reports very fiavorably of its merits in the 

 Ibilowins terms : — 



" [ have examined the properties of the patent 

 coal, which you placed in my hands for that pur- 

 pose, and have to report that it makes a cheerful 

 fire in the open crrate, the temperature of the room 

 being more steadily increased, and the maximum 

 of heat longer retained by it than with common 

 coal, and although it does'not throw out so violent 

 a heat as the best screened coals, yet it has the 

 advantage, if left alone, of continuing to burn till all 

 i3 consumed to ashes, leaving no cinders ; it is 

 entirely free from any unpleasant smell, and when 

 burnt "in close vessels it yields nearly the same 

 quantity of coke as the best coals do,^and the gas 

 o-iven oR burns with great brilliancy." 

 ° These favorable opinions, we are happy to be 

 able to say, have been confirmed by subsequent 

 experience. The Commercial Steam-boat Compa- 

 ny, in consequence ofthe beneficial result of some 

 experiments they made, have adopted it for the 

 use of their vessels. One experiment was in work^ 



