AGRICULTURAL CHEMrSTRT. 



77 



It fuses at about 220 Fahrenheit; and at 

 between 500° and 600° takes 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 thirty. 



7. Phosphorus is a solid of a pale red 

 colour, of specific gravity 1770. It fuses 

 at 90° and boils at 550° It is luminous in 

 the air at common temperatures, and burns 

 with great violence at 150°, so that it must 

 be handled with great caution. The num- 

 ber representing it is 20. It is procured by 

 digesting together bone ashes and oil of vit- 

 riol and strongly heatingthe fluid sul)stance 

 so produced with powdered charcoal. 



8. Boron is a solid, of a dark olive co- 

 lour, infusible at any known temperature. 

 It is a substance very lately discovered, 

 and procured from boracic acid. It burns 

 with brilliant spariis when heated in oxy- 

 gen, but not in chlorine. Its specific 

 gravity, and the number representing it, 

 are not yet accurately known. 



Platinum is one of the 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 con- 

 tain chlorine. It requires an intense de- 

 gree of heat for its fusion. 



The properties of Gold are well known. 

 Its specific gravit}' is 19,277. It bears the 

 same relation to acid menstrua as Platinum, 

 it is one of the characteristics of both 

 these bodies, that they are very difficultly 

 acted upon by sulphur. 

 : 11. «S'//ver is of specific gravity 10,400, 

 jj- it burns more readily than Platinum or 

 Gold, which require the intense heat of 

 electricity. It readily unites to sulpliur. 

 The number representing it is 205. 



12. Mercury is the only known metal 

 fluid at the common temperature of the 

 atmosphere, it boils at 66°, and freezes at 

 39° below 0. Its specific gravity is 13, 

 560°. The number representing it is 3S0. 



13. Copper is of the specific gravity 8, 

 890, It burns when strongly heated with 

 red flame, tinged with green. The num- 

 ber representing it is 120. 



14. Cobalt is of specific gravity 1,100. 

 Its point of fusion is very high, nearly 

 fiqual to that of Iron. In its calcined or 

 .oxidated state, it is employed for giving 

 a blue colour to glass. 



15. Nickelis of a white colour, its spe- 

 cific gravity is 8,820. This metal and co- 

 balt agree with Iron, in being attractable 

 by the magnet. The number represent- 

 ing Nickel is 111. 



IG. Iron is of specific gravity 7,700. 

 Its other properties are well known. The 

 number representing it is 103. 



17. Thi is of specific grav. 7,291, it is a 

 very fusible metal, and burns when ignited 

 in the air, the number representing the 

 proportions in which it combines is 110. 



18. Zijic is one of the most combustible 

 of the common metals. Its specific grav- 

 ity is about 7,210. It is a brittle metal 

 under common circumstances, but when 

 heated may be hammered or rolled into 

 thin leaves, and after this operation, is 

 malleable. The number representing it 

 is 66. 



19. Lead'isoi specific gravity 11,352, 

 it fuses at a temperature rather higher than 

 tin. The number representing it is 398. 



20. Bismuth is a brittle metal, of spe- 

 cific gravity 9,822. It is nearly as fusible 

 as tin, when cooled slowly it crystallizes 

 in cubes. The number representing it 

 is 135. 



21. v^ntimony is a metal capable of 

 being volatalized by a strong red heat. 

 Its specific gravity is 6,800. It burns 

 when ignited, with a faint white light. 

 The number representing it is 170. 



22. v'irsenic is of a bluish white colour, 

 of specific gravity 8,310, it may be pro- 

 cured by heating the powder of common 

 white arsenic of the shop, strongly in a 

 florence flask with oil. 'I'he metal rises 

 in vapour, and condenses in the neck of 

 the flask, the number representing it is 90. 



23. Manganesum may be procured 

 from the mineral called ^langanese, by 

 intensely igniting it in a forge, mixed 

 with charcoal powder. It is a metal very 

 difficult of fusion, and very combustible, 

 its specific gravity is 6,850. The number 

 representing it is 177. 



24. Potassium is the lightest known 

 metal, being only of specific gravity 850. 

 It fuses at about 150° and rises in vapour 

 at a heat a little below redness It is a 

 highly combustible substance, takes fife 

 when thrown upon water, burns with 

 great brilliancy, and the product of its 

 combustion dissolves in vvatcr. The num- 

 ber representing it is 75. It may be made 



