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FARMERS' REGISTER— GAMA GRASS IN DINWIDDIE COUNTY 



3rd. The mixture now consists of 1. the lime 

 combined chemically with muriatic acid, lormino; 

 muriate of lime, which is a salt, and which is dis- 

 solved in the water — 2. a small excess of muriatic 

 acid, mixed with the fluid — and 3. the sand, clay 

 and any other insoluble parts of the samj)le of 

 marl. To separate the solid from the fluid and 

 soluble parts, is the next step required. 



Take a piece of tittering or blotting paper, about 

 six or eight inches square, (some spongy and un- 

 sized ncAvspapers serve well,) fold it so as to fit 

 withni a glass funnel, which will act better if its 

 inner surface is fluted. Pour water first into the 

 filter, so as to see whether it is free from any hole, 

 or defect — if the filtering paper operates well, 

 throw out tlie water, and pour into it the whole 

 mixture. The fluid will slowly pass through into 

 a glass under the funnel, leaving on the filter all 

 the solid parts, on which, water must be poured 

 once or twice, so as to wash out, and convey to the 

 solution, every remaining particle of the dissolved 

 lime. 



4th. The solid matter left, after being thus 

 ■washed, must be taken out of the funnel on the 

 paper, and carefully and thoroughly dried — then 

 scraped otT the paper and weighed. The weight, 

 say 27 grains, being deducted from the original 

 quantity, 50, would make the part dissolved (50 — 

 27 = 23,) yVV of the whole. And such may be 

 taken as very nearly the proportion of calcareous 

 earth (or carbonate of lime) in the compound exa- 

 mined. But as there will necessarily be some loss 

 in the process, and every grain taken from the 

 solid parts, appears in the result as a grain added to 

 the carbonate of lime, it will be right in such par- 

 tial trials to allow about 2 per cent for loss, which 

 allowance will reduce the foregoing statement to 

 /g\ of carbonate of lime. 



5th. But it is not necessary to rely altogether on 

 the estimate obtained by subtraction, as it may be 

 proved by comparison with the next step of the 

 process. Into the solution (and the washings) 

 which passed through the filter, pour gradually 

 a solution of carbonate of potash, (salts of tartar.) 

 The first effect of the alkaline substance thus 

 added, will be to take up any excess of muriatic 

 acid in the fluid — and next, to precipitate the lime 

 (now converted again to carbonate of lime,) in a 

 thick curd-like form. When the precipitation is 

 ended, and the fluid retains a strong taste of the 

 carbonate of potash, (showing it to remain in ex- 

 cess,) the whole must be poured on another filter- 

 ing paper, and (as before,) the solid matter repeat- 

 edly washed by pouring on water, then dried, 

 scraped off, and weighed. This will be the actual 

 proportion of the calcareous part of the sample, ex- 

 cept, perhaps a loss of one or two grains in the 

 hundred. The loss, therefore, in this part of the 

 process apparently lessens, as the loss in the earlier 

 part increases the statement of the strength of the 

 manure. The whole may be supposed to stand 

 thus — 



27 grains of sand and clay. 



21 of carbonate of lime. 



2 of loss. 



50 

 If the loss be divided between the carbonate of 

 lime and the other worthless parts of the manure, 

 it will make the proportions 28 and 22, which will 

 be probably near tiie actual proportions. 



The foregoing method is not the most exact, but 

 is sufficiently so, for practical use. All the errors 

 to which it is liable, will not much affect the re- 

 ported result — unless magnesia is present, and that 

 is not often in manures of this nature. Magnesia 

 is never found (I believe,) in the collections of 

 fossil shells — nor have I known of its presence in 

 any of the earthy manures except limestone, and 

 the magnesian marl lately discovered in Hanover. 

 If any considerable proportion of carbonate of 

 magnesia should be present in marl tried by the 

 foregoing method, it may be suspected by the effer- 

 vescence being very slow, compared to that of car- 

 bonate of lime alone : and the proportions of these 

 two earths may be ascertained as follows. The 

 magnesia as well as the lime would be dissolved 

 by the muriatic acid (applied as above directed) — 

 but the magnesia would not be precipitated with 

 the carbonate of lime, but would remain dissolved 

 in the alkaline solution, last separated by filtering. 

 If this liquor is poured into a Florence flask, and 

 boiled for a quarter of an hour, the carbonate of 

 magnesia will fall to the bottom, and may then be 

 separated by filtering and washing, and its quan- 

 tity ascertained, by being dried and weighed. This 

 part of the process may be easily added to the fore- 

 going — but it will very rarely be required. An 

 iron or brass mortar and pestle, small scales and 

 weights, a glass funnel and flask, and a few sheets 

 of filtering paper, are the only apparatus wanting 

 for this process — and muriatic acid, and carbonate 

 of |K)tash, the only tests — all of which may be pro- 

 cured at any apothecary's shop. 



If a glass pneumatic apparatus, such as is de- 

 scribed in Davy's Agricultural Chemistry, is used 

 to measure the carbonic acid gas evolved, the pro- 

 portion of carbonate of lime may be fixed with 

 much more precision, and in much less time. But 

 it is unnecessary to offer a description of that 

 process, which could not be made plain without a 

 plate, and to which it is probable but few farmers 

 would resort, on account of the expense of the ap- 

 paratus. E. R. 



VIGOROUS AND LUXURIANT GROWTH OF 

 GAMA GRASS IN DINWIDDIE COUNTY. 



[The facts stated in the following letter are worth 

 especial notice, not only on account of tlie high respec- 

 tability of the writer, and his habits of observation as 

 a farmer, but because he is certainly not misled by any 

 partiality for this grass, which so much has been said in 

 favor of by others. Still, we do not understand Mr, 

 Grammer as offering a decisive opinion, as to the inferior 

 quality of the hay, except when it had been mowed 

 too late : and as to the hardiness of the grass, and its 

 poster of living on soils of very unfavorable qualities, the 

 testimony fui'nished by his experience, is satisfactory 

 and ample. The seeds which were sent for examina- 

 tion, left no doubt as to the "corn grass," and Gama 

 grass being identical.] 

 To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Dinwiddie, Feb. 5, 1834. 



While I am writing, permit me to say a few 

 words in regard to Gama grass; about which you 

 have published several notices, and which seems 

 to be exciting much interest in the farming com- 

 munity. I see by the last Register, some one of 

 your correspondents is very desirous of procuring 

 seed to plant three or four acres, and I learned from 



