Vol. VII.— No. 8. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



19 



treasures, the distrcti-es of the state. In the en- 

 thu.<iagin of the iiioment, the usual uiotives of iiu- 

 inaii action seemed suspended ; especially among 

 men of science, every tiling like private interest 

 seemed lost sight of, in a desire to promote the 

 public srood. Important discoveries itj the arts, 

 which, if practised hi secret, must have yielded 

 immense emolument, were freely ])roraulgated for 

 the good of the repuhlic. In this honourahle cora- 

 ])etitioii of the sciences, chemistry stood pre-emi- 

 nent. The most eminent chemists in France, 

 were formed into committees, by the committee 

 of public safety; the results of thei;- investigations 

 will be found in the early volumes of the Annales 

 tie Chi.mie, forming tlie most valuable series of ]ia- 

 pcrs on chemistry, Kppliod to the arts, that can 

 perhaps be found m the history of the sciences. 



Among the most important of these papers is 

 the rejiort of Messrs. Lelievre, Pelletier, d'Arcet, 

 tmd Girard, on the best means of extracting soda 

 from sea salt. This led to the extensive manu- 

 factory of artiticial soda in France, which is at 

 present not only pnnci|)ally employed in their own 

 manufactories, but has become a considerable ar- 

 ticle of export. The process recommended by 

 the committee, and wliich, with some modifica- 

 tions, is still practised, was invented by Messrs. 

 Leblanc and Dize. The process is briefly this: — 

 it consists in dicomposing the muriate of soda, by 

 sulphuric acid. The sulphate of soda, thus formed, 

 is iutiniately miited, in certain jiroportions, with 

 charcoal and chalk pulverized. By the appUca-- 

 tion of a suitable temperature, in a reverberatory 

 furnace, a somewhat comphcated series of chem- 

 ical changes takes place. It has been supposed 

 that sulphate of soda is decomposed, a part of the 

 sulphur of the sulphuric acid, being consumed in 

 the form of suiphurretted hydrogen, forms sligljt 

 explosions, and exhibits the appearance of Ure 

 works, while the unconsunied sulphur remains in 

 combination with a portion of soda and lime, 

 ibrming hydro-sulphurets, sulphates, and sulphites. 

 In the meanwhile, the carbonic acid of the hme, 

 and that foiuied by the combustion of the char- 

 coal, unite with the soda, and form the carbonate 

 of soda. This part of the process requires con- 

 siderable tact in its management, as the value of 

 the article depends upon the completeness of the 

 decomposition of the sulphate of soda, and the 

 fjuaiitity of carbonate of soda that is formed. 

 The process lasts about seven hours, and the re 

 siduum, thus obtained, resembles in its appear- 

 ance, fine barilla. 



A considerable quantity of the artificial barilla, 

 has been imported into the United Slate.s. In con- 

 sequence, however, of the badness of the article in 

 .some instances, but especially from the quantity 

 of sulphur that even the best contain, it is entirely 

 fallen into disrepute. So little is it esteemed in 

 this market, that the soap makers, who are the 

 principal consumers, as several of them have de- 

 clared to me, would not accept the article as a 

 present, though they are sensible that it contains 

 a large proportion of alkali. They find the ley, 

 obtained by the lixiviation of the artificial barilla, 

 contains so much sulphur, that when I)oiled and 

 mixed with the other materials for making soap, 

 the quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen disengaged, 

 is so great, as to render the works almost unten- 

 antable, while the soap becomes of a dirty blue 

 colour, and is rendered unsaleable. 



Knowing that this substance is generally em- 

 ployed in the soap manufactories of Marseilles, and 



that these inconveniences are not com|)!ained of 

 there, I was induced to inquire into the cause of 

 this, in order to ascertain whether the evil com- 

 plained of, by our manufacturers, might not be 

 remedied. My attention was naturally first di- 

 rected to the difference of the two manufactories ; 

 the following are the principal points of dift'er- 

 eiice. In France, soap is generally made from 

 soda and olive oil ; it is coloured, ami that most 

 sought alter is called bleu pale. In this country, 

 I we genernlly use the animal oils, ajiii in all ,but 

 i the very fine soaps, our manufacturers are in 'the 

 I habit of using a consi.ierabie proportion of rosin ; 

 [ the most saleable of this kiiid of soap is of a 

 Iniglit jellow colour. In France, the soap is mar- 

 i bled, by u.liling to it, while in a mass, a solution 

 j of green vitriol, sulphate of iron. Now it appears 

 from the statement of M. Laurens, who is prac- 

 tically acquainted with the subject, that in order 

 to impart to the soap the precise tint, so much 

 sought after, the bleu pale, the presence of the sul- 

 phuretted hylrogen, or rather of the alkalhie hy- 

 drosulphuret, (for both of the alkalies are found to 

 answer the purpose,) is indispensable. In this 

 process, the sulphuretted hydrogen, when united 

 with the iron and oil, imparts a greenish blue 

 colour, which does not cotnbine with the soap, but 

 is dispersed through it, during ebullition, in small 

 masses, so as to produce the marbled appearance. 

 M. Laurens remarks, that the more scientific man- 

 ufa<-turers at Marseilles, are in the habit of adding 

 suliihuretted hydrogen, after treating the soaji 

 with the green vitriol, should it not be found to 

 possess the proper colour. This seems to afford 

 a ready and natural solution of the fact, that arti- 

 ficial b.irilla is used with advantage in the soap 

 manufactories of France, while in this country it 

 is so objectionable. I have had recourse to a 

 riumber of experiments whh diflTerent substances, 

 for the purpose of devising a cheap method of get- 

 ting rid of the sulphur, combined with artificial 

 soda, so inconvenient to our soap makers, but 

 without arriving at any vei^ satisfactory results. 

 Some advantage may be obtained if the ley be in- 

 troduced into open vats, into which the cli|)pings 

 of tin plate, or iron have been thrown, and left 

 standing exposed to the air for several days, and 

 occasionally agitated. 



Economy of materials is the basis of siiccessfid 

 manufacturing, and, as the intrinsic value of the 

 crude sodas depends entirety upon the quantity of 

 pure alkali they contain, the manufacturer should 

 be able to form a correct judgment in this res- 

 pect. For this, however, our dealers and manu- 

 facturers have a very inadequate standard— they 

 depend almost exclusively on the senses, and the 

 history of the article. The appearance, taste, and 

 weight are their chief guides ; after a long expe- 

 rience, and having paid dearly for that experience, 

 no doubt they can form some general idea of the 

 value of the article ; but after all, their judgment, 

 thus formed, must be loose. They generally break 

 a piece of the barilla, and apply the tongue to the 

 fracture ; if the soda be in a caustic state, even 

 though in small quantity, it will excite a much 

 stronger sensation of taste than when it exists in 

 larger quantity, in the form of a carbonate. Nor 

 is the history of the article more to be rehed on, 

 as there are several different quaUties brought 

 from the same market. Indeed, I have known 

 some instances in which the most experienced 

 soap manufacturers, and even large manufactur- 

 ing chemists, have been most egregiousiy deceiv- 



ed, by judging of the article in this loose way. I 

 lately assayed a sample of artificial barilla, that 

 was sold at eighty dollars per ton, the price of 

 the best in which there was scarcely an appre- 

 ciable quantity of soda, while a sample of Ahcant 

 barilla, yielded fifty eight per cent, of pure soda. 



Sy In llie Hriiolp on Kelp, in our last, the reader is desired 

 lo make (he fctllowur^ rorreciion : In Ihe article Fuci nodosus, 

 lor air blubbers, should he air bladders. After Fuci lorais, end- 

 ing in Ihese words, '• this yields well in excellent kelp." Next 

 should follow, 



Fiirijihaii. This is the long round kind, sometimes calieicl 

 caigut. It consists of a simple trond from twenty to thirty feet 

 long, without branches. It affords considerable quantities of 

 kelp. 



FIRE BLIGHT. 



This disorder is extending itself in this vicinity, 

 to such a degree as to threaten the destruction of 

 all our pear trees, unless some mode shall be dis- 

 covered to arrest its progress. We are satisfied 

 that the true cause of the disease has not yet been 

 discovered. Dr Fiske, Dr Greene, and others, of 

 our best horticuhurists, have made the most mi- 

 nute examination, and have been unable to dis- 

 cover any trace of the work of an insect. Instan- 

 ces have come under our own observation, where 

 the disorder conunenced in spots upon the bark, 

 which became discolored and dead, while it was 

 apparently sound and healthy both above and be- 

 low. In one instance, these spots were found to 

 extend dewn the body of the tree to the root, 

 while most of the branches remained green and 

 apparently healthy. Cutting oft" the dying branch- 

 es has sometimes appeared to check the disorder, 

 but at other times no such effect has been visible, 

 so that it still remains a matter of doubt whether 

 it is of any use. Still, as it cannot be injurious, 

 and as the appearance of the tree is improved by 

 the removal, it is safest and best to continue the 

 practice. Quince trees are also extensively af- 

 fected by the same disorder. We hope the at- 

 tention of our scienti^c men may be turned to the 

 subject till the cause shall be determined beyond 

 a doubt fVorceskr Spy. 



ARKANSAS. 



This territory has been the scenes of meetings, 

 where the hostihty of individuals has been urged 

 to the destruction of life and private quarrels have 

 been quenched in blood. A late fight between 

 Wharton Rector and Robert Chittenden, Secreta- 

 ry of the government, terminated in the death of 

 the latter, who last fall, had killed Henry W. Con- 

 way, delegate in Congress. A recontre occurred 

 betwen Andrew Scott, late Judge of the Superior 

 Court, who in 1824, killed Major Selden, one of 

 his associates, and Gen. Hogan, a member of the 

 General Assembly, when the latter was stabbed 

 and died on the spot. The state of society where 

 blood is shed so freely, must be deplorable, .^gis. 



CROPS. 



The crops of grain in this region have general- 

 ly been gathered in good order. 



The quantity of hay cut and cured this season 

 has perhajis never been exceeded in any former 

 year. 



The growth of Indian corn has also been very 

 vigorous, and no doubt will yield an abundant 

 crop. — Hunterdon (JV. J.) Gazette. 



FLORIDA. 



In Florida alone there are more than 7,000,000 

 of acres suitable for the cultivation of coffee, and 

 8,000,000 for the growth of the sugar cane. 



