Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1880 — Value and Use of Bones. [ARTICLE]

Value and Use of Bones.

Until the middle of the present century few of even the most intelligent farmer* in the world knew of the value of bones for enriching land. A few had noticed the remarkable growth as well as the wonderfill productiveness of grape vines planted over the skeleton of an auirnal, but it did not occur to three persons to collect bones, reduce them, and apply them to land planted to ordinary field and garden crops. The great value of bones consists in the amount of phosphorus they contain. This substance is essential to the growth of the most valuable food plants, which gradually but steadily remove it front the soil. It Is moat readily and cheaply restored to the soil by the us* of bones. Id addition to phosphorus, bones contain lime and considerable ammonia. Entire bones remain in the ground a long time before they aro decomposed to such an extent that they are appropriated by plants. It is extremely difficult to pulverize them without the aid of powerful and expensive machinery. If they are first burned they may be pounded np very readily, bat the action of heat drives off ammonia. This ammonia is valuable in promoting the growth of plants, and it is also of great use in hastening the decomposition of the bony structure. Bones may be rendered sufficiently soft tc be easily reduced by covering them with fresh horse manure, and allowing them to remain in it for several weeks; by placing them ia tight vessels and covering tnem with wood ashes occasionally moistened, or by boiling them in strong lye. The last is the quickest as well as the most satisfactory method of reducing them, if one has a kettle of the capacity of a barrel. Treated in either of these ways, they should be pulverized and mixed with fine earth or dried mack before they are applied to the land. *iV ■ 't a* %