The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-11
Disposins Of Bones.

All farmers nave dG lcuSIu ueCome az
ouainted with the great value of bones
for fertilizing purposes. They know
that they contain large amount OF
phosphorus, which is needed for all the
higher orders of the plants used as food
for man. They also know that they con-
tain lime an6 substances that produce
ammonia They think it is necessary to
break bones very fine, or to dissolve
them in an acid before they can be much
value as fertilizers. 1t is certainly ad-
visable to treat them in one of these
ways if immediate results are expected
of them. If one is conducting farming
or gardening operations on land leased
for a limited period, he would not apply
bones to it unless they were first reduced
by grinding or treated with acid. He
is looking for immediate results, and
knows that they can not be obtained
from bones that are entire, especially If
they have become dried. Such bones
will remain in the soil long time and
show scarcely any more changes than
stones.
Bones possess the greatest value at
the time they are taken from al animal
or fowl. They then contain a large
amount of fat, the hollow ones inclose
marrow, and there is considerable
flesh attached to them. These
bones, if large, are very hard to-
break. Without suitable machinery
it is almost impossible to pulverize
them. If placed in fire the animal SUBJ
stances will be consumed and the mineral
portions will become quite brittle. All
the substances, however, that are Ca,
pable of forming ammonia will be con-
sumed aud lost in the atmosphere. 1t is
very desirable to save the animal as we'll
as the mineral substances that are con-
tanned in bones. This may be done by
crushing them in machine prepared for
the purpose or to treating them with sui.
phuric acid. Farmers, however, are not
generally in a condition to do either of
these things. 1t will accordingly be
their pest way to put the bones under
conditions favorable to their de:omposi-
tion and at the same time unfavorable to
the loss of any part of them that is vola-
tile. Solid, as bones appear, nearly half
their weight is matter that is quite per-
1shable.
One of the best ways of disposing of
fresh bones is to throw them into the
pig-pen. The pigs will devour the flesh
that is on them and will break many of
them for the purpose of getting the mar
row they contain. They will often de-
YOUR all the bones of fowl aud most of
the smaller ones of sheep or calf, the
last being quie soft. The und gested
portions of them that are eaten will be-
come part of their dung and will be in
the best condition to use as a fer
tilizer. The larger bones will be at
length mixed with the manure in
the pen, which during the process
of fermentation will soften and
partially decompose them. Bones can
be softened and partially decomposed by
mixing them with fresh horse dung. The
softening and decomposition may be
promoted by putting them in pot with
quick lime and causing it to slake by
the application of water. The same
thing may be effected by placing them
in tight barrel and covering them with
moist wood ashes or lye. In either case
there is an advantage in fir,t breaking
the larger bones.
If large bones, like those of the heads
of cattle, sheep, and horses, are buried
under grapevines or fruit trees their
roots will penetrate them and in time
appropriate all the fertilizing matter
they contain. Bones kept under the sod
will decay in time, and their influence
will extend for a considerable distance
and tor many years. If bones have re-
mained on the surface of the ground so
long that all, or nearly all, the animal
substances have been taken from them,
it may be best to subject them to the
action of fire, and then pulverize them
with hammer or the back OF an AK.
Bones broken in pieces of the size of
grains of corn or wheat will be readily
eaten by all kinds of fowls. If pull
verized as fine as coarse corn meal they
will be eaten by cattle and sheep, and
will be of great benefit to them. Every
farmer should save all the bones he can
and utilize them in some of the ways
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