Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-09-09
How to Make Bone Fertilizers.

How to Make Bone Fertilizers
The United States Agricultural Depart
'ment, having been applied to of late by
many of its correspondents to issue some
general instructions by which farmers
might manufacture their own manures,
has prepared the following, accompanied
by such remarks as would make the mani
|pulation Ineligible:
Bones are almost completely insoluble
in water-practically so. When very
finely divided. as in fine bone dust. small
amount is dissolved by the water of the
soil containing carbonic acid, but the
quantity is small. and the time taken to
do it is great. For the useful effects of
bones, therefore, the farmer must dissolve
them, and sulphuric acid is alone the most
powerful and economical means for that
end. 1t depends on the different form Of
bone which the farmer operates On as to
how much acid will be required. The
sulphuric acid used should be of consider
able strength, and the farmer should ask
for it of the specific gravity of 10 or
marking 140o Twaddell.
When the acid reaches the bones, the
mass effervesces, boils up, and becomes
warm, the sulphuric acid taking away two
thirds of the lime of the bone from the
phosphoric acid, which remains united
with the other third, forming a SUPER
phosphate, biphosphate, or mono-calcic
phosphate. which substance is perfectly
soluble in water, and is called soluble
phosphate. The sulphuric acid uniting
with the lime forms a sulphate Of lime
Gypsum, or plaster). So that in every
heap in which superphosphate has been
made there is always an amount of sui
phate of lime (plaster) formed, and the
plaster forms the greater portion of the
whole mass.
The bones which are used for making
superphosphates by manufacturers, or
which may be had by farmers. are found
in the following conditions l. Bone
dust or ground bone. 2. Boiled or steam
ed bones. 8. Bone ash Of sugar refine
ries. q sf.1.- .sa.1a@~ ~
1. BONE DUsr. Before the bones are
crushed they are now generally boiled for
the sake Of the fat, which is sold to the
soap boiler. It is of no value as manu-
rial agent. but is rather deleterious, coat
ing the bone and protecting it from the
action of the acid, and it would be sdvisa-
ole for the farmer when' possible TO boil
the bones. se
2. BOILED OR STEAMED Bones. Bones
are steamed for the purpose Of removing
gelatin or animal matter Of the bone for
the purpose of converting it into glue.--
The effect Of steaming on bone is there
fore to deprive it Of some Of its organic
matter. but it must not be supposed that
the whole Of the organic matter is re-
moved a considerable quantity remains,
and some ammonia can always be found
in such bones when decomposing.
3. BoNE AsH.-If bones are burned in
contact with the air, the greater part of
the carbon is driven off with the other
combustible parts Of the bone. To avoid
this result. which would render the ash
worthless for the use Of the sugar re6ner.
the bones are charred in heated iron cylin-
ders, out of contact with the air, by which
only portion of the anitSal matter is
burned off, A large amount Of finely
divided charcoal remains, mixed with the
bone earth, giving the valuable properties
to the bone ash. 1t has become great
deodorizer and an antiseptic, and capable
of condensing gasses within its pores, by
which means it retains both the ammonia
and nitrogen of the soil and the manure.
The black color of the bone ash is due to
this charcoal.
One hundred pounds Of bones, ground,
crushed, or dust (not burned), require
forty pounds of sulphuric acid (vitriol).
This quantity, if acting solely on the bone
phosphate, would remove two thirds of its
lime; but, as there is always some carbo-
nate of lime present, this is first acted on
by the acid, and thus some Of the phos-
phate escapes decomposition, and remains
in the mass an insoluble phosphate; hence,
in the mass there are always three consti-
tuents, the amount Of which it is desirable
the farmer should know. namely: The sol
uble phosphate (mono-calcic phosphate),
the insoluble phosphate of lime (undis-
solved bone earth). and the sulphate of
lime. These are the three important sub
stances in superphosphate, for although
may be potentially present if
raw bones have been used, yet super
phosphate is not made or used for the sake
Of the ammonia; and when bone ash or
burnt bone is used, no ammonia is re-
quired. = @
If calcined bones, or bone ash of the
sugar-house, be the material used, every
100 pounds will require 874 pounds of
vitriol; when these have fully acted on
each other the mass would give: Super
phosphate of lime, 26 pounds; gypsum,
66 pounds; sulphate Of magnesia. II
pounds; soda, 2f pounds. and the balance
of the 1871 pounds would be water and
undissolved bone earth. If the farmer
uses steamed bones, a quantity Of vitriol
between the two proportions
named will be needed. say &c pounds.
The usual mode Of making the fertiliz-
er is to select good wooden floor of
barn, we'll covered overhead, or to make
q box floor of thick plank. laid tight. On
this first throw the bones. If mot in dust,
It would be we'll to sift the bones, and