silk, whilst the acid of the lemon- || ture nine parts of indigo, ground up with a little water, and keep the mixture boiling for about half an juice combines with the alcali of the carbonate of potash. Nankeen Colour. To dye Wool Brown, Fawn, and hour. Or a still richer blue dye will be obtained thus:-Mix up together one part of indigo, two parts of green vitriol, and two of quick Wool may be dyed a brown or fawn colour by making a decoction of the green covering of the wal-lime, with a sufficient quantity of nut. It is well known that walnut- water; stir the mixture together, peels strongly dye the skin. To and suffer it to remain in a closed dye brown with them, nothing else vessel for four or five days. With the is required than to immerse the clear liquor thus obtained, wool, article in a warm decoction of them, silk, cotton, or any other article, may till it has acquired the wished-for be dyed a permanent blue. The colour. The intensity of the co- article comes out of the dye of a lour is proportioned to the strength green colour, and turns blue by of the decoction. The walnut- exposure to the air. When the husks may be kept for a long time, article is thus dyed blue, it is neindeed for many years, in vessels cessary to rinse it in water very filled with water. The root and slightly acidulated with sulphuric bark of the walnut-tree give a de- acid. This heightens the colour, coction much resembling the fruit- and extracts any earthy matter, busk it may be employed to pro- which would give a harsh feel to duce a very fast buff or fawn co- the stuff, and impair the lustre. lour; if alum be added, the dye be- Every kind of stuff may be dyed comes somewhat lighter. blue with this dye. EASY METHOD OF EXAMINING THE KAL VALUE. A good bright and permanent nankeen colour may be given to cotton by iron liquor (acetate of iron). It is only necessary to soak the cotton previously in a weak solution of sub-carbonate of soda or of potash, and then immerse it into the iron liquor: or the article to be dyed may be soaked first in the iron liquor, and the fluid may then be super-saturated with a solution of a sub-carbonated alcali. It must afterwards be rinsed in a very weak solution of sulphuric acid. To dye Wool, Silk, Cotton, and other Stuffs, a permanent Blue. Boil in a pipkin, or saucepan, nine parts, by weight, of pearl-ash, with as much bran, and one part of madder root, in a sufficient quan- The name of marl is given to a tity of water, and add to this mix-mixture chiefly composed of calca Although the examination of marls and limestones, with a view to ascertain their fitness for the purposes of agriculture, is a subject familiar to those who are conversant with analytical chemistry, it will, nevertheless, we hope, not be deemed superfluous to lay before the readers of the Repository the process best suited for the unlearned farmer, to ascertain the nature of maris and limestones, so as to determine their relative agricultural value. reous earth and clay, in which the will enable any person to perform calcareous earth considerably ex-investigations of this kind : ceeds the other ingredients. In agriculture, a variety of these combinations are distinguished by particular names, such as common marl, shell marl, stone marl, &c.; but by whatever name this substance may go, it may be asserted, that all marls are useful in agriculture only in proportion to the quantity of calcareous earth which they contain; and with respect to its utility in manuring land, a marl is not reckoned of any value unless it contains thirty-five or forty per cent. of lime or calcareous earth. The easiest mode of ascertaining this, is to immerse one hundred parts of the marl, the value of which you wish to ascertain, in a sufficient quantity of dilute muriatic acid (spirit of salt). All that is dissolved by this means is lime, and no more of it; by weighing the remainder, therefore, and subtracting it from the whole, you learn the exact proportion which one hundred parts of the marl contain, because the carbonic acid, which was combined with the calcareous earth, is expelled by the muriatic acid. The loss of weight of the carbonic acid, therefore, fixes the value of the marl. Thus, for example, if an ounce of marl loses forty grains, we conclude that the ounce of marl contained only one hundred grains of calcareous earth; and that it would be the interest of the farmer to pay five times as much for a load of lime as he must pay for a load of marl, provided he should be obliged to fetch it from the same distance. This being 1. Put a few ounces of common muriatic acid, previously mixed with not less than an equal quantity of water, into a tea-cup, or other vessel; place it in a scale, and let it be balanced. 2. Reduce a few ounces of dry marl to powder, and let small portions of it at a time be added to the acid, till no farther effervescence or frothing up takes place. 3. Let the remainder of the marl be then weighed, by which means the quantity dissolved by the acid will be learned. 4. Let the scale be next restored. The difference of weight between the quantity added to the acid; and that requisite to restore the equilibrium, will shew the weight of carbonic acid lost during the effervescence. If the loss amounts to thirteen per cent. of the quantity of marl projected, or from thirteen to thirty-three grains per cent. the marl analyzed is calcareous marl, that is to say, marl rich in calcareous earth. Marls in which clay abounds (clayey marls), seldom lose more than eight or ten per cent. of their weight by this treatment. The presence of argillaceous earth in marl may likewise be ascertained by drying it, after being washed well: when kneaded together, dried and burnt, the marl will harden and form a brick. Sandy marls generally lose a still less quantity of carbonic acid. PRESERVATION OF WATER. SIR, It having fallen to my lot premised, the following method to be one of those who are charged obtained from other places. The presence of magnesia in limestone, it is now well known, proves extremely injurious to vegetation when employed as a manure. The magnesian limestone may readily be distinguished from limestone which affords quicklime fit for agriculture, by the extreme slow-: ness of its solution in acids, which is so considerable that even the softest kind of the former is much longer dissolving than marble. The following is the easiest pro-' cess for ascertaining whether a limestone is fit for agriculture or to make trials and observations on the best methods of preserving water sweet or fresh during long sea voyages, I take this method of stating, that of all the remedies tried during a course of three years' experience, none has answered better to preserve water sweet during long sea voyages than the practice of charring the watercasks on their inside. There are now in one of his Majesty's dockyards three casks of water, which water is three years old, and perfectly sweet. There is, therefore, little doubt, that water may be preserved fresh or fit for drink any length of time in charred barrels. It has been generally supposed, that the putrefaction to which wa-examined, previously reduced to ter is liable, arises from its containing chiefly organic matter: but this is not so much the case as a real decomposition of the water being effected by the chemical action of the wood, to which it is continually exposed. That tainted water may be rendered sweet by filtering it through fresh burnt and coarsely pulverized charcoal, is sufficiently known. I am, with respect, sir, yours, F. WILLIAMS. Portsmouth, May 28, 1816. METHOD OF ASCERTAINING, BY not: - Put into a tea-cup one hundred grains of the limestone to be powder, and pour over it, by degrees, half an ounce of sulphuric acid. On each effusion of the acid, a violent effervescence will ensue; when this ceases, stir the acid and limestone together with the stem of a tobacco-pipe, and heat the mixture on the hob of a common fire-place: or, what is still better, put the tea-cup on sand placed in a common fire-shovel, and heat it in that manner over a clear coal fire till its contents are dry. This being done, reduce the mixture to powder, and pour over it two or three ounces of water; heat the mixture again for a quarter of an hour, UNFIT FOR THE PURPOSES OF and then throw the whole upon a filter, and wash the insoluble part on the filter, by pouring over it, AGRICULTURE. Every farmer knows, that there is a vast difference in the fertiliz-repeatedly, small quantities of waing power of different kinds of ter. To the fluid which has passed lime when employed as a manure; through the filter, add gradually for there are many extensive dis- half an ounce of common pearl-ash, stricts in this country which fur- or sub-carbonate of soda, dissolved nish lime far inferior to the lime in three or four ounces of water, Vol. II. No. VII. D which will produce a copious pre- || nesia in each one hundred grains cipitate, if the limestone contained of burned lime. any notable quantity of magnesia; A PERMANENT BLACK COLOUR. if not, the fluid will only become NEW METHOD OF STAINING WOOD slightly milky. Heat the fluid (if magnesia be present) by setting it in a tea-cup near the fire; let the precipitate subside; pour off the clear fluid, which may be thrown away, and wash the white precipitate with warm water; then pour it on a filter, the weight of which is known, dry and weigh the whole. The result shews how much carbonate of magnesia was contained in the original stone; or deducting sixty per cent. how much pure magnesia one hundred parts of the lime contain. Take one part of crystallized triple prussiate of potash, dissolve it in eight ounces of water, make the solution hot, and brush the wood over with it twice or three times. This being done, make a decoction of logwood, of one part, by weight, of logwood, and four of water, and brush the wood over with it also; and, lastly, apply a decoction of gall-nuts, mingled with a concentrated solution of red oxide of iron: brush the wood over with it three or four times, and it will now be of a beautiful blue-black colour, which is permanent. The wood may be polished with a hard brush and black shoemaker's wax. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES. THE ABBE DE BALIVIERE. THIS gentleman was one of the almoners of Louis XVI. and perhaps it would be difficult to find a more singular character; he was, in fact, an odd compound of the devotee and the man of the world: fond to excess of hunting and play, he contrived, nevertheless, to perform his clerical duties with strict regularity., Simple, benevolent, and well intentioned, his eccentricities were at times very amusing. He was very fond of politics, and the blunders he made in conversation on that subject of ten created mirth at court. Talking one day with Madame de Polignac about the war between England and America, he said, very seriously, "I have several times. seen the abbey of Chesapeak mentioned in the papers; it must be an excellent benefice, and should M. de Rochambeau prove victorious, I shall, whenever it becomes vacant, request the queen to ask for it for me from the Congress." Though the abbé was very benevolent, his odd manner made even his charities sometimes appear ridiculous. One day, at a hunting party, being left behind by his companions, he overtook one of the huntsmen just at the moment when he had fallen from his horse, and broken his leg. The abbé, struck with consternation, dismounted in great haste to assist him being in the midst of a forest, || ed with great skill at the most difthe abbé looked about in vain for ficult games; conducted the temhelp. The huntsman, in the mean poral as well as spiritual affairs of time, being in great pain, groaned his living with great judgment; most terribly; and' M. de Baliviere, and shewed good sense, as well as not knowing how to go about as- benevolence, in administering to sisting him, began very gravely to the wants of the poor. In short, condole with him on his misfor- we might sum up his character by tune, and taking his snuff-box from reversing the two last lines of Rohis pocket, pressed him to take a chester's epitaph on Charles II. pinch. Our readers will scarcely give M. de Baliviere credit for much understanding: yet he play "He never did a foolish thing, THE MARQUIS CARACCIOLI. visited. Speaking one day of the passion of the English for betting, he said very gravely, that he had been near falling a victim to it. THIS nobleman, who was much || peculiarities of every nation he had liked in Paris when he resided there in quality of ambassador, was possessed of considerable wit and vivacity. The French are indebted to him for the introduction of Ita-" I was riding," continued he, "on lian music into France. He sent for the celebrated Piccini, whom he encouraged and supported against a powerful party, at the head of which was Gluck, who was then protected by the queen, Marie Antoinette. The marquis had been ambassador in London before he went to Paris, and some of his sallies are still remembered in both countries. His present Majesty, with whom the marquis was rather a favourite, knowing that he frequently abused the English climate, asked him one fine summer's day whether he did not fancy himself at Naples. "Ah, sire!" replied be, with much quickness, the moon of the king my master is preferable to your majesty's sun." We make no comments on the politeness of this reply. He was of a very observing turn, and exposed with much drollery the various, and sometimes absurd, the bigh road, and my horse being startled at something, ran away with me. Two Englishmen, who were galloping behind me, directly betted a couple of guineas, one that I should be thrown, the other that I should keep my seat: both were totally regardless of my cries for help, and the horse galloped on till we came near a turnpike. The toll-keeper immediately shut the gates, and I thought myself just out of danger: no such thing, one of the two who laid the wager, called out, No, no, don't shut them! don't shut them! there's a wager!' The man immediately opened the gates, and my horse did not stop till he had got a mile beyond the turnpike." It is unnecessary to add, that there was not a word of truth in this story, which the marquis, however, related in a manner that would have imposed upon any body. |