Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-04-25
Wood Ashes and Bone Meal.
CONTAIN ALL THE NECESSARY CoNsTIT
UENTs OF A COMPLETE FERTILIzER.

The recent great advance In the price
Of potash because Of the German en-.
bargo on expectation, and In the price Of
acid phosphate because Of the increased
use of sulphurIo acid for munition pur.
poses, naturally stimulates interest in all
home sources Of fertilizer materials.
Such sources can not be expected to fur.
uish large supply, but any materials
which are available should be preserved
and used. In this connection attention
should be drawn to wood ashes and
bones.
Wood ashes, prepared by burning the
wood in the air, contain on an average
5 to 10 per cent of potash. The content
of potash is determined by the species Of
plant, the soil upon which grown, and
the portion of the plant burned, whether
root, stock, or branches. The potash is
in q highly soluble form, and unless the
ashes are protected from the weather
will leach away and be lost. Potash
must, however, be In this soluble form
to be of value for fertilizer purposes, and
wood ashes properly cared for are, there
fore, valuable home source OF supply.
Farmers who use wood for fuel should
store all the ashes producedin q wealth
er.tight place, since by 80 doing they
may assure themselves of Q. least small
supply of fertilizer ingredient other
wise almost unobtainable ct present.
Bones are another source Of fertilizer
materials which should potl be over
louked. Ground bone has long been
recognized as valuable fertilizer mate.
rial, and as source of phosphorio acid
its use antedates that OF phosphate rock.
Raw bones contain from 20 to Is per
cent of phosphoric acid and or per
cent of nitrogen. There are many meth
DDS of treating bones, but probably the
simplest and most satisfactory for the
small operator is to reduce them to bone
meal. They should flrst be thoroughly
steamed, say In boiler such as Is used
for producing lime sulphur, after which
they should be dried and ground to meal
10 bone mill. Such q mill can be Sc
cured at small expense and may be used
for other operations on the farm. The
bone meal so produced may be applied
direct, or In combination with wood
ashes. The application Of wood ashes
and bone meal to the soil furnishes the
necessary constituents of complete fer
phosphorio acid, and
potash.
A method of composing wood ashes
and whole bones, which is said to have
originated in Russia, is as follows:
"In . trench 8 or 4 feet deep, wood
ashes and whole bones are piled In alter
nate layers, each about 6 inches deep.
The lowest and the upperm0st layers are
of ashes, and each loyer of ashes 10 sat
urated with water as soon as 1t has been
laid. Upright stakes are set in the
trenches at intervals of about 8 feet at
the beginning, and they are withdrawn
after 8 or 10 days time. Into the holes
which the stakes have Left enough water
is poured to ssturate anew the ashes. At
the end of two months, when the bones
have become considerably softened, the
heap should be thrown over, moistened,
and allowed to ferment anew. This
process should be repeated at intervals
as often as necessary. Five months and
three turnings should be sufficient"