The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-08-11
AND PL ANTER
BONES ron FEaTlLizlNo. :

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BONES FOR FERTILlziNo.
Their value I'm slse various Forms - Food
for Plant Growth.
Bone meal is 6rst-class manure for
many purposes and for many crops.
Bones are sold rs artificial fertilizers in
many forms-viz., crushed bones, bono
manufactures where combs and other
bone articles are made), Is inch, n inch,
u inch, 1 inch, inch and 216-inch
bones, and also in a vitriolized condi-
ton, under the name of dissolved bones.
The last-named condition is brought
about by treating bones with sulphuric
acid (oil of vitriol, by which action
similable or assailable by the soil, and
subsequently by the young growing
plant.
In their natural hard condition, bones,
as obtained from rag and bone collec-
tors, butchers, knacl<eries, ETC., the
fertilizing ingredients (phosphoric acid
and nitrogen) are in an insoluble form,
and when applied to the land undergo
very gradual change only; but when
they have been subjected to the action
of acid they become disfntegrated or
partially dissolved, with the result that
they become more soluble and more
available to nitrification or the action
Of soil bacteria, which convert the nj
trogen and heterogeneous compounds into
nitric acid. and plants can only asimi-
late by their roots nitrogenin the form
of nitric acid.
1t is necessary for agricultural pur-
poses that the natural grease present
in commercial bones be removed, and
for this purpose some manufacturers
adopt the principle of steaming the
bones prior to adding the acid, and
even in this steamed condition they
may be purchased in which state they
are less soluble. and consequently
slower in their action than the vitriol-
lied article, but usually the bones are
ground to meal before being dissolved.
Two inch and two and half inch
bones are used for permanent pastures,
applied when the land is laid out to
grass, as their action is very gradual,
and is spread over a number of years.
One inch bones are employed as top
dressing for permanent pasture, usual
ly rolled into the land in autumn.
One-eighth, one-fourth and one-half
inch bones are frequently applied to
permanent impr< the wheat
crop in which caYe4 SQgxssan inn
provenent throughout t8e ent3fe rota-
ton, whilst the loss incident to heavy
rains. drainage, ETC., is reduced to-
minimum, owing to their slow acv1G
Bone dust. meal and combings are
usually found effective at the time of
sowing barley, laid away with clover
or one or two years take. as in this
fine state of division their influence
begins to assert itself in time for the
barley plants to be benefited thereby,
whilst the greater part of their manu-
rial properties are brought to bear
upon the clover after the removal of
the grain. Another use to which bones
$ III -
ing in combination with l<ainit for po-
tatoes or turnips the following year,
but usually this method is not regarded
as being satisfactory as applying the
KANT alone and supplanting the bone
meal with dissolved bones at the time
of sowing the turnips or potatoes.
AS a general rule, it may be said that
if the land is heavy the former method
is more desirable than the use of the
bones in the dissolved condition at the
time of planting the potatoes or SOW
ing the turnip seed. Pure dissolved
bones and superphosphates of lime have
long been rivals. as they are similar in
composition and used for very similar
purposes. Each Of these nanures have
their advocates, and it at once
becomes evident that very large
proportion of the beneficial effects
of lime supers is due to the lime
in their composition. 1t is now gen
orally acknowledged that bones are
out and out superior in every way, eN-
cept on certain soils: as to the price. it
will be found that pure vitriolized
bones are, on many manufacturers
price list, quoted at double the price of
superphosphates of lime: this is due to
the better analysis the more direct the
influence. and more lasting the effect.
Pure dissolved bones are used for
root crops at the rate of to hundred
weight per acre: for seeds. hundred
weight per acre, applied at the time of
sowing the seed. Bone meal. on the
other hand, is applied frequently as a
mixture with other fertilizers. kainit.
basic, Stag. superphosphates coprolites,
etc, and applied in autumn as a top
dressing for old land, seeds. hay. and
for land to be sown with spring cereals.
Rural World.