The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-15
him who does it as well rs his land
Experimental Farm Journal.
How superphosphate is Made.

How Superphosphate Is maze.
Hon. Simon Brown, in his lecture be-
fore the Agricultural Convention at Man.
chester, on "Artifcial Fertilizers" said
superphosphate Of lime was made in the
following manner:
Bones are collected from every possible
source-boys and girls gather them in the
streets of cities butchers and provision
dealers save them men traverse the coun-
try with horses and wagons picking up
from house to house every pound they
can get, while vessels bring them in large
quantities from wherever they can be
found. These bones are in q raw condi"
ton, not having been used by soap boil
ers, or in any other way to lessen their
value. When collected and thrown into.
heaps under cover, each bone is examIn-
ed. and all such as are suitable TO be used
in the arts are laid aside for turner's, cut
ters, &C.. to be used for knobs handles OF
knives, canes and umbrellas, and the small
ler pieces to be made into buttons. Such
as are not fit to be used in the arts, arc
thrown into iron retorts, each holding
two BARI els The cover of these retorts
are fitted so exactly that they are nearly
or quito air tight. When thus made
ready they arc let down into furnace
where the whole mass soon acquires
white heat but no air being admitted, no
flame takes in the bones. In this intense
heat all the animal matters, the gclatlne,
oils, ammonia, &c, are driven of, and in
the form Of steam pass through pipe to
y a
part OF tho building. The pipe through
which they pass is immersed in cold wa
ter so that the oil and gelatine leave it in
thicsened state and most highly charg-
ed with the pungent ammonia. Careful
experiment having taught the workmen
how long to allow the retorts to remain
in the furnace, when that time has expjr-
ed, they are taken out, set upon an iron
wheelbarrow and trunded away 10 bc
ed off.
The bones arc now reduced to what is
called bonebIack, or animal charcoal
This is extensively y used in refining sugar.
They are of shining black color, brittle,
and can be easily and readily ground, not
into flour, but into quite small PARTICLES.
Two barrels of this ground bone are
then spread on the bottom OF wooden
vat. Four gallons Of the liquids that ran
out of the retort are then thrown upon
it. and the whole thoroughly stirred.
when the mass is sufficiently mixed, from
fifty to sixty pounds of suIphuric acid are
added and mingled. A powerful ebulll-
ton, or boiling, takes place which contin-
ues several minutes, during which time
the workmen keep tho whole mass in mo-
ton. When it subsidies, tho article has
become what is called superphosphate OF
lime. 1t is then dried, packed and ready
for market By this process nothing that
the bone originally contained is lost,
although it has undergone important
chemical changes. Such is the manner
in which superphosphate is obtained. Let
us apply it to the crops. 1t is not equally
adapted to all plants. On all the Brascica
family, including the cabbage, Swedish
turnip, common flat turnip, canlifiower,
broccoli, &C., its influence is usually strik-
ing and profitable The leaves Of the
plants grow larger and thicker ami assume
darker green than have seen them un-
der tho stimulus of any othertertilizer. 1T
is also useful to bcets, mangolds, peas and
beans, and all other of the field and gar
den crops.