Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-01-19
Earmer's department.
tFfom the Germantown Telegraph
experiment with Bone Dust.


Mr.. FnEAs 1T has long been n mooted.
ana Sill remains an undecided question with
some agriculturists, whether bone dust is of
sulncient value to warrant its application in
any considerable quantities, or in the culti-
Vation oil those crops which require large ap-
phcatons OF manure to sustain them. a
very slight degree Of enterprise and genuine
respect Tor the calling in which these dispu.
ting people are engaged, would be sufficient
10 reconcile many of the discrepancies iuvol-
Ved IN this controversy. Now, l hold it TO
be duty incumbent upon every farmer, to
make some effort to elucidate subjects which
are OF primary importance to the cause, even
though By SO doing he shonld be called TO
sacrifice something in pecuniary way. My
own efforts have never been conducted on n
large scale, nor is il necessary that expert
ments designed to bring out and establish
facts, should be; extended enterprises are
too expensive te be undertaken by farmers
possessing limited means, and for that, if for
no other reason, should never be undertaken.
In order to show the value Of bone manure
as stimulant, ! last season made the follow
ing experiment and will now. with your per-
mission, give the result. On piece Of light
soil that had been pastured for a period of
upwards of thirty-five yenrs, and which had
been broken up deeply, and with an even and
perfectly inverted furrow slice, the previous
autumn. sowed twenty-five bushels Of bone
dust and wood ashes, half and half, after har-
rowing, ana sowed on oats, two and three
tourths bushels to the acre, the surface being
..mlted by accurate measurment. On an adj
joining piece OF equal extent. sowed also in
oats. the same quantity as in the first case.
twelve bushels Of ashes alone were used. and
on third piece-one acre in extent-tEe
oats were sowed without any ashes or other
sumnlant whatever being applied. The same
quantity Of seed precisely, was allowed on
each acre, and the sowing was done on the
same oay, as was the preparation of the soil,
aud narrowing in of the seed.
on harvesting and threshng the crop, l
hscertaned the following results The acre
not manured, produced twenty one and hall
bushels; straw tall and very heavy. The
acre manared with twelve bushels of wood
ashes, yielded twenty-seven bushels and five
quarts, with q thinner and more delicate
straw; while tie product Of the boned ant
ashed amounted to forty.seven and three
iourths bushels, the straw being fine ant
snort, the principal development being il
the heads.
On another piece planted beans. Fou
rows OF one hundred hills each were bon,
busted, the next four were manured will
gypsum, four rows on the side of the piece
but adjoining the other twelve, were plante,
without any manure whatever being applied
The after culture was in every respect pre-
cisely the same. On harvesting the crop j
was ascertained that the bcned rows had pro
duced double the quantity yielded by the lou
undressed rows. The rows dressed witt
poudrette yielded somewhat less than tn
four treated with dust, but owing to o sligh
oversight, the exact quantity was not as
certained.
From these and similar data, am persua
ded not only Of the value of bone dust as
manure but Of its economy as a stimulant t
be applied on field crops. Several cxper
nlents on turnips, all of which were conducte
with the most scrupulous accuracy, corrobt
rate the correctness Of this opinion.
/ think that Il little more librraity on I'll
part Of onr agricnltursts would be far NOR
creditable, especially as the present depresse
condition Of the art, demands the virorou
cooperation of all its friends in ordert 10 in
sure its advancement. and without this &C
operation it can never progress, or be pre-
ductiye of the results OF which it ought 10 b
and of which il unquestionably is capable
On piece OF light land, on the farm OK on
of my neighbors, one bushel of bone dust wa
sowed on grass land, rather light and thin
The surface was somewhat undulatng, bu
not sufficiently so to be considered broken
the extent somewhat less than one-fourth c
an acre. On an adjoining piece, in every re
spect similar in texture and constitution, on
hushel of poudrette was applied, and on
third piece three bushels Of ashes,-all tire
ofthe articles being broad-casted, the tim
being the 2lst OF May. The land had bee
five years in grass without any dressing, an
WAS rather poor. The first section, or tha
which had been busted, produced seven hur
dred and eight pounds the second. or tina
on which poudrette was used, yielded seve
hundred and thrty-six pounds, and the thirt
manured with the three bushels of ashes fv
hundred, eighteen and one-half pounds. Th
grass on the three pieces was cut on the sam
day. all cured alike, and weighed on the sam
scales. The increase Of yield, in consequence
Of the application Of these substances, va
considerably over thirty-fvc per cent,
Such fncts arc ofimportance and should b
SO regarded by all
A DELAWARE FARMER.
Near Dover Dac 10 1874