AGRICULTURE WITH CHEMISTRY. 239 



seeds or kernels of fruits, a permanent soap, or sapona- 

 ceous emulsion ; for although such a sapo seems to be 

 formed, still it keeps only in that state until the lime sa- 

 turates itself with fixable air, after which a separation 

 takes place, and the oil comes again to the surface of the 

 liquor. This proves that lime is not endowed with those 

 powers ascribed to it, in rendering oil soluble in water. 

 Admitting, however, (which is not the fact) that the sapo 

 made by lime and oil was a true and a permanent one, 

 still the oil, strictly speaking, could not be considered as 

 in 1 solution, being only mechanically separated and di- 

 vided in the water, and not chemically united therewith, 

 as is apparent by its colour ; for liquors wherein chemical 

 union exists are colourless. 



The only effeft that lime has upon gross oil is to deprive it 

 of that principle which constituted it such, and to reduce 

 it to the state of. an oil more fluid, and more resembling 

 animal or other oils attenuated by frequent distillations. 



Lime certainly does no more than deprive the gross oil of 

 the acid, on which depend its thickness and consistency, 

 the lime combining with the acid in the same manner as in 



the 



