The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-08
Home Made Superphosphate.

meeting and lecture on mahuiac'"i iiS
ioo .srtiIizers. at his farm at
Haverhill. which meeting we were pre-
vented by previous engagements i'o'''
W. have long held the view that
ma1bod should be devised to al
ell practical instruction 10 the men
who have in charge the farms ana gar
dens of the country-men VINO. d
,bouob they may have reached miudie
i;ta are DESTROYS OF awaiting themselves
of the facts and principles OF modern
bushandry. Oar schools and agricui-
,nr,l cnIleges are designed To instruct
ONLY those who have not entered upon
tbn .ctual labors of the farm, or oiiy
he Young men who are seeking an euu-
cation. Periodicals and Journals ue
voted To agricultural matters Tor ,le
most part do Il good WORK. pu' 'hcs
fail to bring the results OF modern re
search and improvements nome 20 ',ie
farm and the same may be SAID OF the
ordinary l~ectures delivered ct farmers
meetings. As far as cords go they ac-
compiish all that can be accomplished,
but something more Is needed. III
str,ctiou IS better conveyed by ~@63Hg
than bv hearing, and when both are
conioined the highest and most salts
factory results are attained.
With the view of testing the practi-
cabiiitv of this kind OF instruction we
called together about a undret worn
Inc farmers in September. and held the
meeting on the floor or the farm Darn
AT Lakeside. The first hair hour was
devoted to an examination OF the farm
buiidings-thc barn. tool room, repair
shnD. the room for manufacturing terti-
iizcrs. and the analytical laboratory.
where analysis is made OF soils, fcrtiil-
zcrs. etc. The topic designed to be
presented was chemical or artificial Ter
t~liiZers: their nature, history. uses,
methods OF manufacturing and COM
pounding. In ORDER to make all PLAIN.
the use OF a blackboard was called INTO
requiSition, and on the table were placed
vessels holding the different salts and
combinations used as plant food. Still
further to elucidate and enforce the
facts of the topic, a series OF illustrative
experiments was devised. III which the
principles Of combination and chemical
reaction were seen. AS a final expert
ment, the gentlemen were invited mo
the barnyard to witness the Manufacture
of five hundred pounds of superphos-
phate as conducted in the usual way
the farm.
That this method might be shown to
be q lite simple. and one to be under
by any ordinarily intelligent per-
son. the whole process was carried
through under the direction OF Mr.. Da-
n,yy farm IparJntnnInp 1n
on a platform a lead-Iined tank
made Of pine plank, four feet square
and one foot deep. Into this he poured
tents Of one carboy of suiphuric acid
,l65 lbs Into this he shoveiIed grad
Tally $50 pounds of fine bone charcoal.
such as the sugar %refiners use, and after
he violent reaction was over, in about
IN hour, he had al 1t a quarter OF a
on OF genuine superphosphate, analy-
ing 10. 81 per cent. soluble phosphoric
lcid. ready for the field. 1t was per
dry in two hours, and could be {
AIKEN in the hand, and it needs no {
In this simple way.
Davis made twelve tons during
ensure days last winter: more
han enough to meetour wants in the |
summer. The apparatus is the result {
If much experience, md is exactly 5
to the wants OF farmers. Our i
method is perfectly practicable when l
he South Carolina phosphate rocks
re used, pulverized, instead of the
zone char. In order to show that it IS
practicable for the inexperienced. we 5
slll state that the Hon. Il. II. Rollins.
nlted States Senator from New HamD I
hlre, spent a day with us at the farm. 5
rom the brief instructions given |
re mas been b to make a tank. and /
ianu1acture several tons Of SUPERIOR t
'nOsphate at his farm ar Roilinsfold. \ t
T.. the past month.
Ii barn lecture occupied one hour
1t was indeed a novel sicht-onc
never before witnessed in this
ounty. Seats we've placed i'm spaces o
etWcen the COW stalls, and on the tuor l
nd every thing wore an asnect Of com. r.
,ft ana facility OF observation 1'ho il
iethods OF combining the salts ~ b
lnlnonla and the nitrates ana potash t
~ OBTAIN perfect manure were ex- II
i"hc'' ana aso Their nature and ST
iehhical relationships. The language +,
'ilployed was plain and simple. without
''lliicailties or confusing formulas
tie close, It was gratifying to listen "
TIE expressions OF approval Of the \
iah- and the statements OF how NAM ii
:" ana useful facts we're obtainei {
ON the farmers present. The exneri- e
ieht conciusiveiy proved that our far re
are not only eager for practical II
but capable OF co,nnra. re
II'ii'hg the Important principles uI,on al
men modern scientific h~,sbandry 81