The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-04-19
BONES ron GRAPE VINES.

Eds. Genessee Farmer:-It is quite
customary to bury whole bones in G rape
bsrders. aud The sfect, believe. is gen.
orally beneficial. have seen the fibrous
roots cling to the bones. and penetrate
into the pores as though there was some.
thing in The bones that constitutes their
chief value. Would it not seem probable
therefore. that superphosphats of lime
(which cOut'ins. soluble phosphate Of lime }
would be very powerful manure for
grape vines! I should be glad of your
opinion on this subject. L.. II. ,
Philadelphia. Pa.
The effect which our esteemed cores
pondent describes, We have witnessed our.
selves. The chief value of burnt bones
10 undoubtedly owing to the phosphate of
lime which they contain; but in fresh
bones the gelatine is Of al least equal val
ne 70 the phosphates, GeIatire 10 very
similar 10 composition TO the q sh Of aui.
mails; and it is well known that dead ami.
mails buried under grape vines produce,
oitentimes, q very brnefcssl effect. One
Of the most productive Vineyards in this
State had q large number Of carcasses of
animals (kilIed in The vicinity BY an &C.
eident on the railroad) buried bersath the
vines before they were planted. Now,
This anlmal matter. decaying in the soil,
would furnish Dmmonia 10 The plants ralh
er than the phosphate of lime. And ills
more than probable that the effec, of
whole bones PLACED beneath grape vines
IL 70 be ascrib' d tO the ammonia formed
ny the decay Of the gelatine Of the bones
rather than 10 their pl osphales.
TIE bones Of bear and Of stag, which
had been long buried in the soil were an
alyssd BY Marchaud, and they were found
to have lost very little phosphate of lime,
while tie animal matter, or gs!aline, had
greatly diminished, especially in ono ofl
the bones, which had been buried more
shallow than Tho rest.
II follows from this. that the phosphate
OF these whole bones. which renlain un.
decompostd AMI irsolnbls in the 40 |, can
have very little e6ecton the plants. The
fact, therefore. that whole bones buried
beneath grape vines increase their growth
and producilvencss Ia 10 proof that the
so!nbl" phi 'spha VI i'm. IN superphos.
phaie would prove beneficial. Wc do moi
say that II will no., IN fact we tLlnk that
It IS qnl'e likely thai suparpho phstr may
ba an excellent manure for grapes; but
The facts mentioned by our cores yonlenl
do not prove IL.
Bu doesn't the feet" We hear our
correspondent ask, "that The fleet of
bones Iasls ior praal IN ny Years, prove
ihat u Is due 10 th7 phosphate of lime,
"od net 10 the griat'ne? Tue latter de-.
comP"es more reacily than the former.
and woulc So0n be consumed, while the
phospha'' would last for long period.
II lh1 bon are beneficial after all tls
gelsllne u decomposed aud absorbed b,
the plants, II mutt b. owing "a the phos.
phaIe Of llP,c sill lett in the bones. This
would be rue. IL ,he gelalIne was all con
sun'ed. bul N .h' Sd Of whole bones il
would take many years 10 produces such
result. While liza bones pnalyzld hy
Msrchaud. which 'ad lad in the ground
Tor an unknown period. had los, \ large
proportion Of their EelaIine, thy still
oonia'neda considerable quanlity-that
OF the bear. whlOa was buried decp, l6
per cent: that buried shallow. 4 per cent.
and that Of the stag per cent. Ii is stated
the soil Of district in Sweden, (which !
from time immenorial had grown excel. i
lsnt wheat, without manure" was anal. d
yEed by BsrSelius, and found to contain u
minute fragmenls Of bone, capable, upon :
boiling with water, Of yielding weak 60 4
luton Of gelatins. II was concluded a
that the spo. had been an au.
DienI battlefield, and that its prolonged q
fertility was due 10 the bones Of the sol. y
iiers and their wAr.horscs buried iu il, n
md STILL 10 some extent, undeeomposed. n
- Gennssss Ea,,n..