The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-10
NOhLS.
Their Value ~ Fertllixers-Hh0 Ate
Roger Williams. g'

Thsir Value Nv FertiiixerH-Hh0 Ate
Roger Williams.
Chicago Tins,
The great value Of bones as fertilizers has
not been known and fully appreciated till
within a comparatively abort time. OBJ.
serving people, who had no knowledge Of
agricultural chemistry, discovered their
value before scientific men did. They no..
ticed the remarkable growth OF trees and
wines on places where dead animals had
been buried or bones had been put ITO get
them out OF the way" The blowing over
Of enormous trees sometimes disclosed the
decomposed skeleton Of an animal. The
pleasantly.written story Of "Who Ate 70
ger Williams" was q few years ago pub.
lished in nearly every paper In the coun.
try. 1t was known that an apple tree was
Rhode Island, and that It's size, thrift, and
productiveness were the admiration Of all
who visited the spot. Several years sgo
it was proposed to remove the remains to
another spot, with q view Of erecting q
monument over them. Tho grave was
opened, but little could be found. The
roots Of theapple tree had invaded it and
appropriated the treasure. A living growth
was found, answering In form to the skele.
ton OF the dead man. The extraordinary
fertility. OF many ancient battle fields has
long been noticed. Many farmers have Oh.
served that porous bones, plowed up in
fields, contained the roots OF plants. For
centuries before the composition Of mari
was known, 1t was employed asa fertilizer
in different parts Of the world. The credit
OF demonstrating the great value OF bones
as fertilizers, IND showing tho part they
play in increasing the growth OF vegeta.
ton, are chiefly due to Prof. Liebig and Sir
John u. Lawcs. They showed that bones
contained, in addition 70 lime. and sub.
stance rich in nitrogen, large quantities OF
phosphoric acid, which ia Of great value TO
plants.
While western farmers may not find it
profitable to use the commercial fertilizers
prepared from bones, they may derive
great advantage from collecting all the
bones they can and treating them in ways
that are qnite expensive. Bones, in their
natural state, arc very hard 10 pulverize.
They have an organized structure that rem.
ders them able 10 resist hard blows. They
contain animal as well as mineral sub
stances. They always contain considera.
bic glue and let. These and other animal
substances ara valuable TO plants, aud it
| would be desirable to reduce in tho form
they are when taken from animals if the
difficulty was not Us great. If bones arc
| NIlrNAT IN a NNtp r1Nr, csS,,a nv f,,~o,nn A.
animal matter they contain will be con.
sumcd and they will become so brittle that
they may be readily pulverized. Bones
that have been burned contain all the
phosphorus that entire bones do, and make
a very valuable fertilizer. When pound.
ed, they are excellent for feeding 10
fowls with q view Of alfording materials for
egg shells, and arc also very valuable Tor
all kinds OF animals that are giving milk,
whether it is intended Tor home consump.
ton, making butter and cheese, or raising
young. The best dairy farmers in this
country and Europe now give their COWS
bone meal as regularly as they do salt.
Bones may BIO rendered so colt that they
can be readily crushed by placing them in
strong barrels with wood ashes that are
kept moist. They may also be softeued by
placing them in heaps Of manure that IL
going through the PROCESS OF fermentation.
Alter they have remained a few weeks in
connection with moist ashes or fresh stable
manure they may be readily crushed with
a sledge hammer. They make a most ex-
cellent fertilizer for melona, equashes,
grape.vinea, oil kinds Of small gain, corn,
garden vegetables, and howers. A small
quantity placed in a ilower.pot will add to
the growth Of the plants raised in them,