Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-22
Dry Bones-A Practical Subject.


From the Richmond Times.l
We do not profess to have that genius
which "can impart elOquence to dry bones"
las was once said If the present learned Pro-
fessor of Anatomy at the University Of Nir-
ginia, but we have something to say about
them for the benefit of our country readers,
who are so literally patronizing our semi
weekly paper. We do not allude to the
bones Of buried valOr, now Wondering in
the fields and forests of Virginia; sacred be
their repose and let none speak or write of
them save in charity and honor. But we re-
fer to the bones Of that countless multitude
of horses and cattle which followed man in
his war-path with dumb submission, and in
mute and accomplishing resignation, yield
up their lives on every road, by-path and
field of the South. Go where You will on
any of our roads which traverse the area of
active hostilities, or which were selected as
the routes for the march of armies, and the
traveller will think that he is entering that
valley Of dry bones spoken of by Ezekiel, the
prophet. In distance of ten miles, in an
adjacent county, on a road passed over by
the wagon train of General Grants army
and the cavalry Of General Sheridan, can be
counted, even at this late day, the bleaching
skeletons of more than one hundred horses.
Their skulls were very generally resorted
to, during the past summer by wrens and
tomtits, for the purposes of incubation ; and
by wasps, hornets and humble-bees, who
seemed to regard them as very eligible
quarters and, no doubt, considered them as
very safe and convenient repositories for
their nests. A little off from the road, where
the slaughter-pens Of the troops were located,
are the myriad bones Of butchered cattle,
whitening the ground for acres around. The
description which we have given is true, and
applicable to all of the war-iields and mill
tary roads of the South.
There is wealth and usefulness in this
great harvest of bones, and it should be gath
cred Collected, ground up and reduced to
dust and powder, there is more value in ton
of these bones for agricultural purposes, than
in a ton of Peruvian guano. Bones are
nearly wholly composed of the Phosphate Of
Lime, an element indispensable to every
productive soil, and which, from its scarcity
as a natural product, our lands arc unfOrtu-
natclv, very deficient in. And yet all soils
must possess it, and no crops can be made IN
its entire absence. But this is not the only
valuable feature of the bones. Phosphate Of
lime is the chemical results Of the union of
phosphoric acid and lime; and phosphOric
acid is composed Of certain proportions Of
phophorus and oxygen. Now, phosphorus
is comparatively rare in nature, and is never
found as a simple, uncOmbined substance.
As an ingredient Of bones, it is more album
dant in this form than elsewhere in Nature,
and all our supplies are obtained from this
source 1t is very valuable in the arts-for,
beside. its value in the manufacture Of luci-
fer matches, there are many other uses 10
which it is applied. The supplies Of it are
limited, and it commands enormous prices;
being generally sold by the ounce. As it
combusts spontaneously in the air, it has to be
kept in water.
The value Of the bone crop will now be
appreciated, in view Of what we have said.
We hope our farmers will not neglect their
interests in this matter. Our own opinion
il, that any man who starts vigorously and
boldly into the bone business, will get rich.
While upon this subject of bones, We will
add few words about manure, which we
hope will be of interest and service to our
agricultural friends. The value and i'm
pOrtance Of this agent entitle it to the dig
nifty of a science, as the extent and variety Of
its sources, should justly rank it among the
arts.
The science Of manures is bat little under
stood or appreciated among us. With small
free labor farms, and the consequent neces-
sity 70. rich lands, more attention viii here
after be paid to manures in the-South, than
heretofore. We are vastly behind the peO-
pie of Europe, and Of the North, in the econ
omy and administration of manures TO our
exhausted soils In Europe nothing Is al
lowed to be lost, that can enrich land. Not
| an ounce Of hzman excrement or urine Is
| permitted to escape, and the manure OF
horses is even carefully collected from the
| highways.
In recent number Of The Country Cen
deinan, a capital agricultural paper, full OF
interesting matter, is very useful and sug-
| gestive article on manure, which points out
| the method Of its creation and accumaia-
ton. Every acre Of wood land, every ditch,
decaying log and wood pile is compelled TO
! Weld liz tribute to the soil. Would that our
farmers studied more the science Of the ma
nures, and understood the art.