VOL. XII. NO. 



AND lIORTICULTiUAL .JOUKNAL. 



421 



expended in the combustion. What is then left in 

 the decanter, will be the other part or kind of air 

 culled .hole, and if a small animal should be in- 

 troduced into this air, it wool. I die as suddenly as 

 if it had no air at all. Oxygen gas (lor you inii-l 

 remember that every substance in the form of air 

 must he called gas) is a very wonderful substance. 

 It unites with iron when exposed to the atmos- 

 phere for any length of time, and converts it into 

 rust, it unites with melted pewter or lead, and 

 converts them into dross or oxide, as it is called ; 

 it unites with another kind of gas, called Hydn 

 and forms water. Yes, what perhaps it may sur- 

 prise you to know, water is not a simple as most 

 persons suppose, but a compound substance, com- 

 posed ofOxygen and Hydrogen gas. Both itsde- 

 composition and composition are common experi- 

 ments in every chemical room. Oxygen likewise 

 is one of the ingredients in the composition of 

 acids, all which are compound substances ; hence 

 Oxygen has been called the great acidifying prin- 

 ciple. Thus it unites with sulphuric acid, or oil 

 of vitriol as it was formerly called: it unites also 

 with carbon or charcoal, when burning, and forms 

 carbonic acid gas, already described ; and hence 

 we see how the carbonic acid gas, which some- 

 times proves fatal in close shut bed-chambers, heat- 

 ed with burning charcoal, is produced. The oxy- 

 gen iu the atmosphere unites with the charcoal or 

 carbon in burning, and thus produces this gas, so 

 deleterious to life when breathed without a due 

 -proportion of atmospheric air mixed with it. 

 These four eletnentary substances, Oxygen, Hy- 

 drogen, .hote, and Carbon possess a very wonder- 

 ful agency in nature, and every one who has any 

 wish to look beyond the mere surface of thiugs, 

 cannot but be gratified iu knowing more about 

 them. It is important that the character and 

 distinguishing properties of each should be well 

 understood. These are given in the following 

 concise definitions, which are not to he forgotten ; 

 viz : — 



70. Oxygen — is one of the constituent princi- 

 ples of water; it is called vital or respirable air, 

 and is essential both to the support of life and 

 combustion. This substance performs an impor- 

 tant part in most of the changes which lake place 

 iu the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms. 



77. Hydrogen — is one of the constituent prin- 

 ciples of water ; it is very inflammable, and was for- 

 merly called inflammable air. It is the lightest of 

 all ponderable substances. This is the substance 

 generally used in filling air balloons. It is readily 

 obtained by the decomposition of water. Vegeta- 

 bles and animals, also in a state of decay and pu- 

 trefaction, afford it, and it is evolved from various 

 mines and volcanoes. 



78. .hole — is that part of atmospheric air 

 which is incapable of supporting life or combus- 

 tion. All combustible substances burn violently 

 in pure oxygen gas, and if it was not diluted in the 

 atmosphere by a large portion of azote, it Would 

 be impossible to extinguish any considerable fire 

 when once lighted up, and something like the gen- 

 eral conflagration of the whole world would imme- 

 diately commence. Azote exists abundantly in 

 nature, forming the greater part of the atmosphere, 

 and is one of the principal ingredients in animal 

 substances. 



99. Carbon — is the pure part of charcoal. 

 Carbon forms a large proportion of all vegetables; 

 it exists also in animals, but its quantity is small. 



From the Virginia Farm* r*s Register. 

 ON THE MANUFACTURE OP POTASH. 



It i.s remarkable that the manufacture of potash 

 which has formed so considerable and profitable 



an employment for the industry of the northern 

 Stales, has never been in operation ill Virginia. 

 Of course no satisfactory answer to the following 

 letter of inquiry on this subject was to be obtain- 

 ed at home — and it was therefore sent to a gentle- 

 man who resides at Cayuga county, New York, 

 whose location, as well as his general information, 

 it was inferred would enable him to give the 

 statements required. He has kindly complied 

 with the request, by sending the communication 

 inserted below. 



The enormous waste of wood throughout Vir- 

 ginia anil the southern states, induces me to in- 

 quire whether a considerable saving to the coun- 

 try may not be effected, by converting a portion 

 of it into potashes, and by preparing the bark of 

 certain descriptions of trees, for tanning and dye- 

 ing. 



In clearing our lands, it is the practice to burn 

 all the wood which is not used for fence rails, and 

 no care is taken of the ashes. It is well known 

 that from the branches and twigs of oak, a larger 

 quantity of potash is obtained than from the same 

 weight of the trunk of the tree, and that the 

 branches are entirely lost with us in clearing land. 



Now my object in addressing you is to request 

 that you will obtain and publish the most simple 

 and clear directions for making and preparing pot- 

 ashes for market, embracing the cost of all requi- 

 site apparatus, labor, &c. and the quantity produc- 

 ed from a given weight or measure of white oak, 

 red oak, and other woods common to our coun- 

 try. The preparation of bark for exportation 

 might also be valuable, if the mode of doing it 

 was made known to our fanners. Querist. 



William Culver, Esq. from whom the follow- 

 ing particulars were obtained, has been concerned in 

 the manufacture of potash for many years. 



It is estimated that 450 bushels of good house 

 ashes will make a ton of potash. Some skilful 

 workmen can produce more. The manager of his 

 works contracted to make a ton from every 425 

 bushels ; and he has even made that quantity 

 from 420 bushels; but it is more than common 

 workmen can produce. 



Of field ashes about 550 bushels are required 

 to make a ton. This difference is owing to im- 

 purities, and a want of compactness in the ashes. 

 Great care should be used in scraping them up, so 

 as to exclude as much dirt as possible. It requires 

 more care to work them. 



At this time, house ashes are worth ten cents a 

 bushel, at the ashery, and field ashes seven cents. 



One man can manage an ashery, consisting of 

 the different vessels hereafter to be mentioned. 

 There ought to be six leaches (or leach tubs,) 

 each ten feet long, constructed in the following 

 manner: Lay two parallel sills, one a little higher 

 ihan the other. On these the bottoms of the leaches 

 are laid — made of boards four feet long, not groov- 

 ed and tongued, but breaking joints. These should 

 be a foot high from the ground, so as to admit a 

 trough under the lower edge to eatch the ley, and 

 to lead it into the ley tub, which may be a half 

 hogshead sunk in the ground, and which will serve 

 for two leaches. 



The boards four feet in length which constitute 

 the sides of the leach, are held together by two 



rectangular frames ; the lower one resting on the 

 bottom is eighteen inches, and the upper, near the 

 top of the leach, three and a half feet wide. 



On the bottom of the leach lay small sticks 

 crossing each other, to the height of two inches, 

 for the purpose of letting the ley run off freely. 

 On these place straw, to be four inches thick when 

 well pressed down, lo prevent the ashes from 

 washing through ami mixing with the ley. Three 

 bushels of lime to each leach are spread on the 

 straw ; its effect is to facilitate the melting of the 

 potash. Every third time that the leaches are fill- 

 ed, new lime is to be applied, after ejecting the old. 



The ashes when thrown into the leaches must 

 be made compact by pounding it down. In this 

 way a leach will hold GO bushels. 



The leaches are worked in pairs. One pair 

 may be running while the second is soaking, and 

 the third is being emptied of old ashes, or being 

 /died with new. This arrangement prevents the 

 workman from, losing time by waiting, or from 

 being too much hurried at another time. 



Two potash kettles of 90 gallons each, are 

 wanted for boilers, and may cost about 835 apiece. 

 These are set in arches. Several sugar kettle s, 

 containing about twenty gallons each, will also be 

 wanted for coolers. 



The manufacture of potash is generally com- 

 menced in the spring, when there is no longer any 

 danger from freezing. 



Ley too weak to bear an oigg, is not put into 

 the boilers, but is used for wetting such leaches as 

 have not begun to run. 



During the boiling, a dipping pan is placed in 

 each boiler, resting on the bottom, to catch the 

 black sedls as they settle ; and when the pan is 

 full, it is emptied from time to time. By this 

 process, the lejj will not become so thick, and 

 consequently evaporate faster. 



When the strong ley (such as will bear an egg,) 

 from the two leaches, is all poured into the boilers, 

 then increase the fire. For this purpose, good dry 

 wood is necessary. The black salts are now to be 

 returned to the boilers; and there will be a dan- 

 ger of the liquid running over. This is prevented 

 by dipping it up and pouring it back into the boil- 

 er. Repeat it till this disposition to rise over shall 

 disappear. Then raise the heat still more, till the 

 potash is perfectly melted, and becomes almost as 

 thin as water. It is then to be dipped out into 

 the coolers, being careful lo have them very drv. 

 Let the potash stand till next day — it will crack 

 into four quarters. Turn it out, and it is fit to 

 barrel. 



My informant suggests that there would be a 

 great advantage in having some person to start the 

 works, who was well acquainted with the business. 



D. T. 



LOCUSTS. 



We have been disposed to ridicule the reports 

 circulated in the papers, of the death of several 

 children from the sting of locusts. But we learn 

 that the bite, of this noisy visiter, has, in several 

 instances, proved fatal. A black boy, in or near 

 Newcastle, (Del.) last week, gathered several lo- 

 custs, and put them in his hat, to be carried to 

 school. While thus confined the animals bit his 

 head iu several places ; in a short time the places 

 bitten became inflamed ; the head swelled very 

 much, aud the boy died in a few hours afterwards. 

 We saw several sores on a person's hand, caused 

 by the bite of locusts. — Philad. U. S. Gazette, 



