Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-09-30


found to have acquired the desired taste.
PHOSPHATE or LIxE.-Chemically speaking,
| phosphate of lime is combination OF phOs-
phoric acid and lime, and is one of the best
| fertilizers for certain crops that we know OF
! The crops on which it has the best effect are
the grains. Indian corn, potatoes, cabDaSes,
beans and peas Upon light, silicious soils
its effect is the II ost marked. 1t has especial
ly good effect upon wheat, because great
amount of the kernel of the wheat is phos-
phate of lime. Its action is to make the
kernels plump and full. Barn manure will
cause the straw of grains to grow very rank
and tall, but without phosphate the berry
will not fill we'll, as it must have phosphate
of lime to produce a plump and full berry
and as there is but little of it in the soil OF
most places at the present day, having been
exhausted by numerous groupings with the
same crop, it is desirable that phosphate be
applied in order to get good yield Phos-
| phate of lime is always made from bones,
| although it has been found in nature in rocky
beds in Spain, but the rock did not contain
enough to pay for working. Phosphate is used
in the form of ground bones, and superphos-
phate in the form of dark powder, obtained
by dissolving bones in sulphuric acid or oil OF
vitriol.
As the article in market is not in some
cases pure. and perhaps some of the farmers
who read The Homestead may want to make
some for trial, in order to test it's qualities, L
will give recipe by which it can be made
without much trouble.
First, break up the bones you wish to use,
with heavy stone hammer Then place the
broken bones in a tub which you intend to use
for the purpose, add small quantity of wa
ter, and let them soak for half an hour.
Then add one-half as much sulphuric acid.
Let them be until the pieces Of bone are
dissolved or when it becOms glutlnous mass.
Then dry it with charcoal, but never use for
this purpose lime or ashes as either will de-
stroy the good qualities of the phosphate.
In applying it, it should be put into the
hills of those crops planted in that manner.
In applying it to grains, the grains should be
first moistened and then dried with the phos-
phate. On grass lands it should be sowed
broadcast. From three to six hundred pounds
per acre is good dressing.-N. E. Home
stead.
The Country Gentleman has the follow
ing from a correspondent in Randolph VT:
While attending one of the fairs year or
two since, stranger told the following
singular instance of the uncertain meekness
and docillty of three-year old bulls. lie
said he had three-year old Durham bull
that had always previously been as kind as a
kitten, in the yard with his other stock.
One day as he was doing his chores with
his usual broad-brimmed quaker hat, over
hauls and tight polka on, he flung down
a forkfull of straw near the bull, whereupOn
he turned upon him instantly with his fork
he defended himself as best he could, till
dropping it, when the bull, putting his head
against the mans stomach, backed him
against the side of the barn. His horns be-
ing long, pressed the boards firmly, while
leaving ample room for the small wlry body
Of the captive. After thus fairly bagging
his game, as he seemed to suppose, he quietly
g stuck to it, apparently waiting the
thinking. as to how he could get out of the
scrape the most honorably. He said he
thought his days were numbered and nearly
finished, but he not Just ready.
A bout the width of two boards from
where he was pinned, was a board missing,
and he thought if he only in front of
that, he could stink into the barn and escape,
but how to get there was 80 like Jetf7s get
ting off his petticoat. Thinking there
could be but little lost any way, he conclu-
ded to try it, by very slowly and quietly set
ting himself down. Having plenty of room.
and the bull being very tall, he had but little
difficulty in getting clean out and through
the hole in the barn. As his shaker had
lodged on the bulls horns, he seemed to still
think he had his victim sure, and kept his
position very firmly, while his owner ran
out of the back door in the barn into his
house, for his ready loaded and trusty rifle,
and discharged its contents into the heart
of the Durham, thinking he did not care to
repeat the programme