224? 



SCIENTIFIC NEW 



Advantages of 

 the difcovery. 



efflorefces flightly in the air; is much lefs foluble in water, 

 but forms with it a folution abundantly precipitable by 

 Flnewhite lead Carbonic acid. This precipitate is very white, forms a pafte 

 Sk/'^^^"^'^ with oil, and by extrading the carbonic acid from chalk by 

 means gf fire, it would perhaps be poffible to prepare a fine 

 white-lead by thefe means. 



The value of the difcovery of this fait, will be readily 

 perceptible. It not only brings us acquainted with a new 

 fubftance interefl:ing in a fcientific view, as it affords us a frelb 

 proof, that the proportions of the conftituent principles of 

 falts may vary greatly ; but it is likewife of importance in the 

 art of phyfic, in which falts of lead are daily employed, and 

 which may reqi:ire one containing a large proportion of oxide; 

 and it is of confequence to the arts in general, as it affords a 

 new method of obtaining a ime white-lead, and particularly 

 to that of manufaduring acetite of lead, on the proceffes and 

 produds of which it throws great light. 



Arachis hypo- 

 gaea cultivated 

 in France. 



Affords an oil 

 excellent for 

 jamps, 



and other pur- 

 pofes. 



The Arachh Hypogcea, or Ground Nut of the Weft Indies, cul- 

 tivated in France for its Oil. 

 IN the departments of Landes and I'HerauIt in France^ 

 lat. 43|° to 44-|**, an oily plant, called arachis, of the family 

 of lentils, (arachis hypogasa) begins to be cultivated. It was 

 brought by the Spaniards from Mexico, and was introduced 

 by the French from Spain. An ounce of the oil of this plant, 

 with a wick a line and half in diameter, burned nine hours 

 and twenty-fix minutes; an ounce of olive oil under fimilar 

 circumftances, lafted only eight hours. Thus the oil of the 

 arachis has the advantage of more than one eighth over olive 

 oil ; and it has more or lefs over every other kind of oil. 

 It is an excellent fubftitute for olive oil for every domeftic 

 purpofe, and is preferable to all other oils for the manufadure 

 of foap. The feed yields nearly half its weight of oil. 



*^* The enquiries of « correfpondent, refpeding the method 

 of experiment adopted by Dr. Irvine, will be anfwered in 

 our next. 4- 



