1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



27 



tanctioned jointly by the National Wool Growers' 

 and Wool Manufacturers' Associations. 



4. The interests of wool manufacturers and wool 

 growers being recognized as identical, further 

 measures should be adopted to make each class 

 familiar with the respective wants and necessities 

 of the uth< r. 



5. Mr.tiufacturers have suffered from overpro- 

 duction of particular kinds of goods. Wool grow- 

 ers have equally suffered from overproduction of 

 certain kirds of wool. The wisest course for each 

 class to adopt is to increase the variety of its pro- 

 ducts. 



6. It would greatly benefit many branches of 

 the woolen manufacture if, in addition to the ordin- 

 ary wools now produced, there should be an in- 

 crease in fine wools corresponding to the bestSile- 

 sian wool<, and in conibing v. uols of English blood. 



7. It is lor the interest of the whole country that 

 production should be increased l)y extending pro- 

 tection to all branches of indusay whose repre- 

 sentatives can show that they arc not in a position 

 to succestfully compete with foreign producers. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CHEMICAL TERMS— No. VI. 



Silica, or as more generally called silex or 

 flint, is very abundant in nature. In chemical 

 language it is bilicic acid. It is found in 

 quartz, flint, and in rock crystal, often beau- 

 tifully crystalizcd, and is a principal ingredi- 

 ent in many of the precious stones. Feld- 

 spar, which is a leading ingredient in granite, 

 contains C6 per cent, of silica. 



Silica consists of about 48 per cent, of sili- 

 con and 52 of oxygen. It is found in the water 

 of most springs, especially warm springs. If 

 we evaporate spring watt r, we find it in the 

 residuum. If we burn a plant we find it in 

 the ashes. Grasses and the stalks of most 

 kinds of grains, yield silica on combustion; 

 and. in fact, to its presence they owe their 

 tirnmess. When the soil is wanting in it, or iii 

 alkalies to render it soluble, they will bend or 

 fall to the ground. The shells of numerous 

 small insects consist chiefly of silica. Silica is 

 the principal ingredient in sand. Yellow sand 

 is colon d by oxide of iron. By chemical pro- 

 cesses silica may be obtained pure, when, it 

 will be found to weigh in comparison with wa- 

 ter as 2.66 to 1. It combines with the bases, 

 alumina, potash, soda, magnesia, lime, &c., 

 and forms silicates, which constitute the largest 

 number of the hard minerals on the crust of 

 the earth. It sometimes combines with one 

 base and sometimes with two. Thus we have 

 feldspar, which is silicate of alumina and pot- 

 abh ; hornblende, which is silicate of lime and 

 magnesia ; steatite, which is silicate of mag- 

 nesia with a slight addition of alumina and 

 iron. Silica is insoluble in every aiid except 

 the fluoric acid. It is quite insoluble in water 

 in its natural state. 



Wa should little expect flint to be an acid, 

 but as it exhibits the properties of an acid, and 

 behaves like an acid, it must be so considered. 



Clay. — Clay is a compound of two simple 

 earths, silica and alumina, generally tinged 

 with iron. Lime, magnesia, and the coloring 



oxides of some other metals besides iron, are 

 found in small quantities in natural cbiys. 

 There are many varieties of clay, ari ing from 

 the diflerent proportions in which the ingredi- 

 ents composing them are combined, an<l (i-om 

 the presence of ingredients in one variety that 

 are not found in another. When tolerably 

 pure clay is mixed wiih water, as every one 

 knows, it forms a compact mass, flexible or 

 plastic, capable of being formed into every 

 shape. Common clay contains more sand than 

 plastic clay, and has a yellowish color, owing 

 to the presence of iron ochre. 



Water does not pass through clay as it does 

 through sand, or through lime.-tone earths. 

 When a layer of clay exists beneath the soil, 

 the rain, being unable to penetrate readily 

 through it, accumulates above it, forming bogs 

 and marshes. When such a layer approaches 

 the surface near the edge of a lower level, the 

 accumulated water bursts out giving rise to 

 springs. ^ 



Clay has the power of drinking in and re- 

 taining a large cjuantity of water. This prop- 

 erty when skilfully used gives it great agricul- 

 tural value. 



Thoroughly dried clay, on exposure to the 

 air, increases in weight. This increase arises 

 from substances absorbed from the air. These 

 are water, carbonic acid and ammonia. Now 

 as these are the most important elements of 

 plant food, and as clay absorbs these from the 

 air, it is clear that it must enhance the fertility 

 of the soil. Loam consists of clay and sand. 

 We speak of a clayey loam or sandy loam, as 

 either of these ingredients predominates. A 

 soil consisting of either sand or clay only, is 

 without fertility. If there is too much clay, 

 the soil is too compact and heavy, and so 

 dense as not to allow a free circulation of air. 

 After long rains it becomes muddy, and not 

 allowing the water to evaporate freely, remains 

 wet and cold for a long time. A soil contain- 

 ing too much sand suffers from the opposite 

 disadvantages. Hence it becomes obvious 

 that the physical condition of a clayey soil may 

 be ameliorated by the addition of sand, and 

 that of a sandy soil by the addition of clay. 

 The properties that especially adapt clay for 

 the manufacture of earthen ware are its plas- 

 ticity and its hardening under the action of 

 heat. Clay is a silicate of alumina, containing 

 variable quantities of silicates of potash, lime, 

 &c. 



Alum is what is called a double salt, con- 

 sisting of one part of sulphate of potassa, and 

 two parts of sulphate of alumina, chemically 

 united. R. 



Concord, Mass., Nov., 18G7. 



— In Canada, fiax is so profitable that some large 

 flouring mills have been turned into linen works. 

 Near Preston, this year, 12,000 acres were in flax. 

 It looks a little as though cotton would be flaxed 

 out. 



