Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-15
The farm aud fireside,
HOME. MADE SUPERPHOsPHATE.

Superphosphate of lime, or ground bone
dissolved in sulphuric acid, seems to suit all
soils, and on many of our farms it is the
great requirement. Nature has furnished to
most soils but limited allowance of soluble
phosphoric acid, and the cause of the unpro-
duetiyeness of many of our farms is owing to
the exhaustion of this indispensable element
of plant food. Every load Of hay, bushel Of
grain, can of milk, or animal that is sold
from the farm, removes more or less phosphate
of lime. Whether it is to be used alone as a
special manure, an ingredient Of stock.
bridge formula, or in any other combination,
it may be made on the farm very much cheap
or than it can be bought of the phosphate
dealers. I cannot agree with men who show
how important it is to the farmer, then tell
him he had better buy it already prepared
than to try to make it himself 1t is safely
and easily prepared by the following method,
which have used: .ls..-..
Take one of the tubs formed by dividing a
sound molasses hogshead through the middle ;
into this put three-fourths of barrel of line
steamed bone, or about $50 pounds, and ap-
ply four or FIVE pals of water to the bone, or
Just enough to moisten it through, and stir
thoroughly have ready an old earthern jar
or pitcher, and into this pour the acid, so as
to measure or weigh it, and taking care to
have the hands covered, and to pour slowly,
in order to avoid spilling or scattering it into
the eyes. Pour the acid from the pitcher
slowly into the bone; have your assistant stir
it with hoe, and when the efervescence
subsidies, refill the pitcher and apply as be.
fore, and so continue until you have used
from sixty to seventy pounds, or nearly four
gallons of acid !; then, having stirred it up
thoroughly from the bottom, leave it until the
next day then stir in the remainder of the
barrel of bone, and shovel it out on the floor
to dry. It should be shoveled over occasion.
ally, and the Jumps cut or crushed until it is
fine. If dry dirt is handy little may be
mixed with it, but if not, it is about as we'll
to use it clear; but great care must be taken
to cover or mix it in the soil before the seed
is planted, as, if placed in contact with the
seed, it would fail to germinate.
A carboy of acid weighing from lob to
175 pounds will be about the right quantity
for 500 pounds of bone, using from thirty
three to thirty.fve pounds of acid to 100
pounds of bone This may not be quite acid
enough to thoroughly dissolve the bone, up.
less it is very strong, but it is better to leave
little of the bone undissolved than to leave
any free acid. By applying all the acid to
three fourths of the bone at first, We have acid
enough to thoroughly dissolve that much
bone; then, by adding the remainder of the
bone afterward, we use any free acid that may
be left. prefer steamed raw bone, because
it is usually finer, it dissolves easier, contain.
ing less water, and larger proportion of
phosphoric acid. 1t is also very much better
to buy fine than coarse ground bone, because
the acid will not dissolve the large pieces
found in the coarse bone, and they will be in
active in the soil long time.-Exchange