Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-01-19
FROM AN ENGLISH PAPER.
NOTHING rs USELESS.

We are told by the old-fashioned economists to
Keep thing nine years, and in the end we shall
md use for it-a maxim which receives striking
confirmation from the progress of the useful
arts Things which, So lately as the commence
ment OF our journal We're laid aside as useless have
now become OF value; and substances which at one
time were looked upon as positive annoyances and
distractions, have been turned to advantage. We
mean 10 adduce a few examples in illustration of
this iact-a fact douby gratifying, as bearing not
only upon what has been thus acquired but as
pointing to every other object i'll nature, however
worthless IN the esteem OF our present ignorance
Turning IN the first place to agriculture which
within the last twenty years, has made astonishing
progress, we are met at every step with evidences
OF the fact that nothing is useless. Before the pre-
sent century the bones Of animals were used to a
small extent in turnery and other arts A; but the
great mass OF them thrown aside as oflal, fit
only to be buried out of sight. Now every scrap
from kennel and kitchen, is carefully collected:
mills have been erected in various parts Of the coun
try for crushing them and in this state they are
regarded as one of the finest of manures for loht
turnlp soils. 30 great has the demand been for this
material during the past fifteen years, that 1t is i'm
ported from foreign and even distant countries; and
OF late considerable difficulty has been experienced
In obtaining supply. At present, we believe, the
price OF bone-dust ranges from 20 to 25S per impe-
/ rial quarter-a price 50 tempting that aduleration
with slaked lime, saw dust, and the like, is not
unirequently resorted to. How our forefathers
would have laughed at the prediction Of bone mills.
and British soil feftilized with ship-borne bones
from Germany and Prussia! The same may be
remarked OF SCOT, nlghtsol and the waste substan-
ces which used 10 flow from gas-works, and from
the factories OF the soap-bOiler, the sugar-refiner
and others. Not many years ago. these were
wholly, or almost wholly neglected Looked upon
as nulsances to be got rid of; now they are care
July collected, and bring remuneratino prices A
story is told, that the magistrates OF Edinburgh
some century and half ago, were so thoroughly AT
loss what to do with the refuse and ofal on tho
streets, that they felt grateful if they did not even
Profier reward to neighboring laird for carting
them of 10 his landi The worthy mapistracy
however, were not more ignorant in their corporate
tnan other people were at a much later period, in
their Individual capacity for most of the substances
/ now valued as manures, Were then nuisances anC
distinctions. SCOT, then thrown to the winds. !,
now carefully bagged, and sold at so much pe
0ushel urine, and other liquid, for which the far
ner USED TO dig assewer, that they might be carried
| away from his ffmstead are now tanked ano
poured over his land the urGte OF commerce is bu
mixture ofurlne and calcined gypsum and night
soil Is now extensively prepared with gypsum o
lime, put IN casks, and sold under the name of non,
deHe. The blood, lime, and animal charical
winch had served the purposes Of the sugar reiner
used to be thrown aside as waste now in Tn
south OF France, it is sold under the name Of .ani
lnaliSed charcoal" and has, according to Professo
tombstone, risen to such price, that the sugar-re
liners actually sell it for more than what the un
mixed blood and animal charcoal originally COS
them! Guano, though long used by the Peruvian
as manure, was discarded by us. till within III
last eight or ten years. In 1880. shipownc
would sooner have loaded his vessel with profites
ballast, than with this substance and vet i'm 1884,
It's importation gave employment to a large porto
OF our mercantile navy, and every rock and iset
the Pacific and Atlantic was visited that happily
few hundred tons Of this deposit might reward tn
search. Though now reduced to IS or Clio a tor
seven years ago its price was more than double tn;
} sum- and this, be it observed, for a substauc,
which, in our boyhood had no mercantile vaIu
| whatever. The ammoniacal liquor Of gas work
which used to be carried off by covered drains as
nuisance, is now sold TO tho farmer al 90 much 2,