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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



able soon to refer more at length. The fol- 

 lowing officers were elected. 



President— MarshM P. Wilder. 



Vice Presidents in New England — Maine, S. L. 

 Goodale ; New Hampshire, Fred Smyth ; Vermont, 

 E. C. Worcester; Massachusetts, C. M. Hovej' ; 

 Connecticut, Daniel S.Dewy; Rhode Island, Silas 

 Moore. 



Treasurer — Thomas P. James. 



Secretary — F. R. Elliot. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CHEMlCAi TERMS— ]Sro. III. 



We constantly meet with the terms oxygen, 

 nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorus, ammonia, car- 

 bon, carbonic acid, sulphur, sulphuric acid, pot- 

 ash, silex, silicate of potash, lime, «&c. Let us 

 inquire what is meant by these terms ; what are 

 the substances which are described by them, 

 and what properties they possess. 



Oxygen. — This term is derived from a Greek 

 word, oxus, which means acid, and another 

 Greek word which means to produce, to bring 

 forth, — it means acid-producer. It was sup- 

 posed to be the basis of all acids. When ex- 

 isting by itself, it is an invisible, colorless gas. 

 It exists abundantly in nature in combination 

 with other bodies. Of 100 measures of atmos- 

 pheric air, 21 consist of oxygen. Water con- 

 sists of one part, by measure, of oxygen, and 

 two of hydrogen. It is found united with metals 

 and earth. Combustion is the union, more or 

 less rapid, of oxygen with combustible bodies. 

 It was called vital gas, because it is essential 

 to life, — no breathing animal can live without 

 it, — and yet it is the great agent of decompo- 

 sition or destruction. It seizes upon metals 

 and converts them into rust, or oxides. When 

 vitality has left organized bodies, thoir compo- 

 nent elements are at once seized upon by 

 oxygen, which unites with their nitrogen and 

 converts it into atmospheric air ; with their 

 hydrogen and converts it into water ; with 

 their carbon and converts it into carbonic acid ; 

 with their phosphorus, and converts it into 

 phosphorous acid, — thus setting all these ele- 

 ments free from the combinations in which 

 they had previously existed, and diffusing them 

 thro;, gh space. Thus it is obvious that by its 

 universal presence and ceaseless activity, it 

 performs a very important part in the works of 

 nature. 



Nitrogen. — This is also an invisible gas, with- 

 out taste or smell, constituting about four-fifths 

 of the atmosphere. It is found abundantly 

 in the organic kingdom, combined with animal 

 and veg(;table organisms. It is found in salt- 

 petre, or nitre, — hence its name, nitre-pro- 

 ducer. 



Hydrogen. — From the Greek word hndor, 

 water, — water-produ(;er, because it is always 

 found in water, which cannot exist without it. 

 Two parts, by measure, of hydrogen, com- 

 bined with one part of oxygen, form water. 

 Hydrogen is a very light gas. The two parts 

 existing in water, weigh only one eightn as 



much as the one part of oxygen ; one part of 

 hydrogen weighs only one-sixteenth as much 

 as the one part of oxygen In nine ounces of 

 water, only one ounce will be hydrogen. It 

 unites with oxygen to form water, always in 

 the same proportion. Hydrogen gas is easily 

 obtained by separating it from water. When 

 thus separated, if flame is applied to it, it 

 combines again with oxygen so violently as to 

 cause explosion. It is separated from water 

 in the organs of animals and plants and con- 

 verted into a solid. Combined with nitrogen 

 it forms ammonia. 



Phosphorus. — This is a simple substance, 

 highly inflammable, of a yellowish white color. 

 In <"oId weather it is brittle ; in warm weather 

 soft and flexible, like wax. A piece of it laid 

 upon cotton or blotting paper, in a hot day, 

 j will take fire spontaneously. The heat of the 

 I hand will cause it to take fire. It is not dis- 

 ! solved by water, but is dissolved by ether, 

 alcohol and oils. When exposed to the air, it 

 slowly combines with oxygen, giving off a 

 white smoke and a strong light. In other 

 words, it shines or phosphoresces, — hence its 

 name, from two Greek words, light and to 

 bear, or light-bearer. When combming with 

 oxygen it emits the smell of garlic. When it 

 burns slowly it combines with three parts of 

 oxygen, forming phosphorous acid. When it is 

 burned more rapidly, with flame, it (;ombines 

 with five parts of oxygen, forming phosphoric 

 acid. When phosphorus has been combined 

 with oxygen, it exhibits the properties of other 

 acids, and will readily 'mbine with lime and 

 other alkalies, and with the oxides of metals. 

 In this way phosphate of lime is formeil, which 

 enters so largely into the composition of bones. 

 Formerl}' phosphorus was obtained from urine, 

 in which it exists in the form of phosphate of 

 lime, phosphate of magnesia, &c. Now it is 

 obtained from bones, the gelatine and lime 

 being removed by certain chemical processes, 

 leaving the phosphorus. By means of lime 

 and heat, it can be made to decompose water, 

 a portion of it combining with the hydrogen 

 of the water and forming a gas, — phosphoretted 

 hydrogen, — which takes fire on exposure to the 

 air. When bones are put into one part, by 

 measure, of sulphuric acid, and three parts of 

 water, sulphate of lime (gypsum) is formed, 

 and falls to the bottom, and plios{)horic acid 

 and lime remain in solution. If this solution 

 be evaporated to dryness, a white powder is 

 formed, which is superphosphate of lime. R. 



Concord, Mass., Sept. 10, 18G7. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ANOTHER LETTER FROM MAINE. 



I\Iaine is a fine State, rug<!;iHl and strong. 

 The people resemble her hills in possessing 

 that strength of eharac^ter, witiiout wliich no 

 man can carve a nan)e nor make a fortune, 

 and with which every legitimate son of Maine 

 has a "free pass" anywhere. Next to Massa- 



