The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-04
On Reducing Bones.

On Reducing Bones.
Claimants Rural World, treating on this
subject. says to burn bones is an easier mat
ter than most persons suppose. They are
mt hard to burn like limestone; in fact,
after once getting a fire started the bones
burn readily by themselves and make an
intense heat Darwin, in one of his nara
+ivss in which he describes locality on one
If the Falkland islands where there was but
little wood, says: 1.-THE Guachos, however,
soon found what, to my surprise, made
nearly as hot fire as Goals; this was the
skeleton of a bullock lately killed, from
which the flesh had been picked by the
.arrion hawks. They told me that in win
ter they often killed a beast, cleaned the
Ash from the bones with their knives and
then with these same bones roasted the meat
for their supper"
It is easy enough to reduce the bones by
burning, but the objection to so doing is
that the heat drives off all of the organic
substance, leaving only the inorganic or
earthly matter in the ash. In this there are
valuable fertilizing elements, and as bone
ash has commercial value and is exported
from South America in considerable guam
titles. Bone meal or other forms of bone
that have been reduced without driving off
the organic clements (all of which are useful
TO plants contains all that is found in the
bone ash and the others, in addition. In
the organic elements there is good proper
ton of nitrogen, which is the most valua-
Bile of fertilizing agents. 1t of course fol-
lows that reduced bone containing all Of the
substances is more valuable than when lack
ing some of these.
By means of hard wood ashes bones can
readily be reduced to a condition Of use as
fertilizer. The bones are first to be broken
I'D as much as they can well be with q
sledgehammer, and then mixed with hard
wood ashes in alternate layers of six inches
each, in hogsheads or barrels. When the
bones are thus placed, or the barrel full,
wet the whole with liquid manure from the
COW or horse stable, or, in the absence of
that, with clear water. There should be a
hole in the bottom of the barrel and tank
placed beneath to catch the I've as it passes
through, and as this accumulates it is again
poured into the barrel. If only clear water
is used little caustic potash added will
hasten the reduction and add to the value
of the fertilizer. In a few weeks the bones
will become so soft as to be readily crushed
with a shovel. The mass can then be mixed
with dry earth, road dust or other absorb
ent and is ready for use, and with the ashes,
liquid manure, potash and bones, will make
a very rich fertilizer.
Instead of mixing the bones with the
ashes, some prefer to first extract the I've
from the ashes as though for soapmaking
and then boil the bones in this. 1t is said
that half ton day can be reduced to a
fine condition by boiling in strong I've in
two four barrel kettles. In boiling the fine
bone, as it settles to the bottom of the ket-
tie, must be removed to prevent burning.
If the ashes be exposed to the sun and air
after teaching it will make an excellent alb
sorbent for the reduced bone, or dry earth,
lime plaster, ETC., can be used.
In Germany bones are decomposed with
lime. A heap is made i'll any convenient
place, by placing layer of bones six inches
deep upon the ground, covering this with
layer of quick lime of equal depth and
layer of loan; then another layer of bones,
lime and loan, and so on until the heap is
Of convenient size, when it is covered with
thick layer of earth. Holes are then
pierced in the heap and water poured in to
Stake the lime. About twice as much lime
in bulk as bones are used. For about eight
weeks the heat will be intense, coming from
the shaking Of the lime and the fermenta-
ton. After fermentation ceases the bones
will be found in a friable condition and the
heap can be shoveled over and mixed with
other materials and used.