Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-10
Will Ashes Dissolve Bones?

Owing to the indispositon of farmers gener-
ally to use sulphuric acid in reducing bones to
pulp or powder, many persons knowing the
value of the bones cast away from the Kitchen
of every farm house as worthless, have racked
their brains to discover some means of turning
them into account Some have had them
broken and ground like plaster, which when
mixed with the soil becomes a valuable and
lasting manure, but not very speedy in its opera
tion 1t has been known to many that bones
heaped together and covered with some moist
substance would heat and soften, and could thus
be prepared for the field; but the best account
we have seen is the following given in a recent
number of the Country Gentleman
If the question be asked, will ashes dissolve
bones the answer is, no, not in the proper
sense of that term, not as water dissolves sugar
or salt. But if it be asked whether ashes will
reduce bones to a condition in which they will
be speedily available to plants the answer is,
yes The Hon. Philip Pusey, ascertained
several years ago, and, after carefully expert
menting upon the discovery three or four years,
published in the Journal of the ROYAL Agricul-
tural Society, that bones, if placed in pile and
covered over with wood ashes, of fossil coal,
and leached ashes, common soil, or sand even,
will heat and crumble to powder. He showed,
as the result of careful experiments several
times repeated, that bones treated in this way
become valuable manure; and upon the
strength of his own experience, he has recon-
mended this course to English farmers.
A friend OF ours, in whom We have entire
confidence informs us that seven years ago he
fell into the practice of reducing bones by
means of ashes, by sort of fortunate blunder
Being at the head of a very large family, III
which fresh meat was largely consumed, he
found that his Irish cook was in the habit OF
throwing all the bones out of the back window
This drew such bevy of dogs, with voices, bass
tenor, and treble, about the house. that it was
impossible to sleep quietly. In order towithdraw
temptation from the dogs and to preserve the
bones for the use of his land, to be prepared il
some way unknown, he ordered the bones t,
be carried and put into an old sugar hogshead
placed in grove little distance from the
house, and the ashes from the kitchen to be
thrown on them, the hogshead to be uncovered
that the rain might fall into it, Whenever al
offensive smell arose from the bones which wa:
only i'll dry weather he found that little water
thrown on prevented it, As soon as the frs
hOgshead was full, another was placed by il
and filled, and then another. His intention
was to use the ashes and bones on Indian corn
supposing that by the next spring the bones
would be somewhat s0ftened so much so thai
they might be pounded to-pieces with sledgt
hammer on a fiat stone. The hammer and the
stone were actually procured for the purpose
But no bones were found, except near the TOP
of the hogshead last filled. Instead of the
bones, were found soft sapOnaceous masses, re
tanning the form and size of the original bones
but none of their hardness They were easily
cut with shovel and mixed with the ashes
and whes so mixed and applied to corn at tn,
rate of half pint to the hill, they proved al
excellent manure for corn