Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-03
What 20 DO with Bones.

them reduced to powder, or to any condition
that will fit them for use as fertilizer, with
out too great expense Raw bones are eN-
, tremely difficult to grind, owing to the fat
and other soft animal matter they contain
one-half Of their weight being made up of
such material which clogs any ordinary
qrinding-mill aud makes It necessary to have
mills specially constructed for the purpose
These mills are costly, and no common
farmer could afford to buy one for his own
use simply though we believe that one
farmer in a town, who was fitted up with
good horsepower, would find 1t pay to buy
one and grind bones for his neigbors at
reasonable toll Or it would pay to set one
up in some water mill, where there was sur
plus power.
! A good many directions have been given
in the agricultural papers during the last ten
years for the utilization Of bones, but to very
| little effect since not one farmer in a hundred
ever makes any use Of them. Even those
who do try to save the bones soon find that
it costs more than they are worth to work
them into a fertilizer, and soon conclude that
the only profitable use of them is to work
them into the soil, around the fruit trees,
where in long process Of time their virtue is
doubtless absorbed, TO the benefit Of the fruit.
We have tried good many ways to make |
use Of bones following now one code of di-
rcctions and now another, but have been re-
luctantly forced to the conclusion that under
any manipulation the resulting fertilizer
costs more than it is worth and more than
ground bones from the fertilizer factories are
sold for. Yet il has worried us to know that
the very bone for which we were paying /
fifty dollars ton, could be bought right at
home for ten or fifteen dollars, in its I'M
ground state, and that we could better afford
TO give one-half as toll TO bone mill than
TO buy it as we have had TO. Finally, we
have concluded that the best alternative con-
sists in buying the bones and burning them.
1t is almost as trying 10 the economist to do
this, as to buy the ground bone at the high
price at which a genuine article alone can be
obtained, since very valuable part of the
bones. the animal matter, is lost in burning.
Still, as "half a loaf is better than no bread,
and as the half ton of bone-ash that is pro
duced by burning ton of bones is worth
more than it costs, while any other mode of
handling them costs more than the product
is worth, we have reluctantly resorted to the
burning process.
Bones thoroughly burned are very easily
beaten to fine powder with the back of
shovel This powder is almost wholly com
posed of phosphate Of lime the very thing that
most of our worn out soils require to restore
their fertility. But it is still not in its best
condition for use as fertilizer, since it lacks
soluJaity This solubility is produced in the
fertilizer factories by adding sulphuric acid,
which transforms the bones to a superphophate
which dissolves readily in water. But far
in the country sulphuric acid is difficult to
obtain, and with the cost of freight, and the
carboys in which it comes, it is too ex-
pensive. Is there no cheaper way of making
our bone-ash phosphate soluble, and thus fit
for producing an immediate effect upon the
growth of plants
This is a matter upon which we have been
experimenting, and although our tests have
been only practical ones, gathered from OBJ
serving the effect of the manure when APP
piled and not, as we should desire, confirmed
by chemical analysis, We will state here
how, as We believe great part Of this bone
ash can be made soluble at trihing expense.
Take two loads, or about seventy-fve
bushels, of fresh horse dung, as free from
straw as possible, and mix with it, by shov-
cling, ten bushels of bone-asb Throw the
mixture iuto tight bin made of boards, on
the ground, without bottom, and tread it in
pretty firmly. The object of this bin is to
have the mass heat equally, as it will not do
in conical pile The size should be six or
seven feet square, and high enough to hold
the compost. Then wet the compost with
the richest fertilizing liquid you can obtain.
Chamberlye is the best, or the teachings of a
manure-pile or the liquid manure from the
stable if it can be easily collected. Soapsuds
from the wash will answer in part but we
should prefer to set up manure leach, and
run the suds through that in order to make
it richer, as this richness in heterogeneous mat
ter is very important in order to produce the
right kind of fermentation. The liquid
should be carefully added to the pile, distrib-
uting it evenly over the mass, so as to wet it
all alike The quantity required will vary
some, according to the moisture in the ma
nure, but usually from one to two barrels
will be absorbed. Do not put on any more
than the pile will retain without teaching.
In a few days the pile will begin to heat
and will soon become very hot, accompanied
with strong smell of ammonia, or harts
horn" As soon as this occurs, throw about five
or six inches in depth of good soil on the heap
level it off, and beat it down moderately will
the back of the shovel. This is to Absorb
the ammonia and prevent waste. In about
> week, If there has been strong heat, throw
; the contents OF the bin out upon the ground
Z shoveling it over and mixing it thoroughly
and then shovel it back, treading it as be
fore, and again wet it down. Go through
with this process three times, when, If il ha
been rightly managed, you will have fine
! black mass, u small handful Of which in
; hill of corn or potatoes will have all the ei
I feet of the best superphosphate, So long a
: it remains moist this mass will still hav
a tendency to heat, which should be guarded
against by frequently shovelng it over pro
tecting IL well from the rain until you wan
TO use it.
: The value of this compost, in our opinion
is fully equal to that OF ton and a half o
the best superphosphate, and the following
estimate viii show their comparative cost
~ tons supeuhosphaie at SO per .........s SIS
COMPOST.
| ton Of bones, (which, when burnt VIII produce
ten bushels Of bone ASH at cent az NJ SO 70
Two leads horse manure At .......... .s.....
: Another load. TO leach for the hlud.. 90
Labor, burning aud pulyensing bone. ,,.,..,.. W
Labor, making the compost ...............", 90
1 -sa!
Front SIS
Very little fuel, and that of a cheap kind
, will be required for burning the bones, a
5 they have enough combustible matter il