438 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1884. 



Doubtless there may be circumstances attending Ceylon 

 yield of which we are ignorant, but we have heard of 

 several astute Assam planters taking a turn down that 

 way to look for investments, who were not so 

 enamoured with the plan as to think it capable of 

 doubling the outturn of the Assam districts. So far 

 prices for Ceylon teas have been slightly better than 

 for the run of Assam lines, although some individual 

 concerns in the latter stand out in bold relief above 

 any other, and it is, as it always has been, a matter 

 moro of what leaf has been plucked than how it has 

 been manufactured. Given the condition that the same 

 leaf was rigidly plucked all over the different districts, 

 and we do not think that prices would vary so much 

 as they do now. That there are some planters more 

 particular in little details we doubt not, but there are 

 some well defined broad line? with regard to manufact- 

 ure which all planters recognize and follow with but 

 little variation, and this slight variation could not 

 affect the general good result which they are aware 

 follow certain lines. In conclusion, we believe that 

 Ceylon teas will fall to the level of Indian, as is being 

 already evinced in the London markets ; at the same 

 time, we believe that if the same economy is practised 

 as is the case with regard to Indian, we see no reason 

 why Ceylon tea planting should not take its place as a 

 recognized industry, even although there may be a 

 partial falling at the beginning, and a passing through 

 the fiery furnace whieh Indian tea has long ago passed. 

 — Indigo and Tea Planters' Gazette. 



CONVERTING BONES INTO MANURE. 

 A correspondent, who is evidently adopting the wise 

 system of combining the keeping of a due proportion of 

 stock with his tillage operations, writes to say that he has 

 accumulated a considerable quantity of bones on the farm, 

 and asks for information as to the best way of converting 

 them most effectively into manure ; also, as to what crops 

 and under what circumstances the bones may be most 

 advantageously applied. As the information may be equally 

 acceptable to many other of our readers, we have concluded 

 that the answer may profitably be dealt with in this column. 

 The putrefaction of bones may be accomplished by putting 

 them into a heap (after they have been previously broken 

 as small as possible), moistening them with water or liquid 

 manure, and then covering them up with earth. In a few 

 days the heap becomes warm owing to the heat produced 

 by the chemical changes proceeding within the mass, and 

 in the course of a few weeks the bones will be found to 

 have lost their firmness of texture and become so soft that 

 when applied to the land they quickly break up and miugle 

 with the soil. It may be remarked that a heap of bone 

 manure in putrefying loses considerably in weight, con- 

 sequent upon the vapour and gases evolved during the 

 decomposition of the organic matter. In order to reduce 

 this loss to a minimum, it is advisable to use common salt, 

 which, when powdered in occasional layers over the heaps, 

 acts as a powerful antiseptic. 



Another plan of promoting the solubility of bones is to 

 place them in alternate layers with farmyard manure, when 

 both are permitted to ferment together in a conical heap 

 covered up with earth so as to prevent loss. Referring to 

 this method of using bone dust, Dr. Stoekhardt says : — "It 

 is certainly most advantageous to employ bone dust like 

 all subsidiary manures, not as an exclusive manure, but in 

 combination with stable dung, whereby the latter is so 

 strengthened that one load will accomplish as much as two 

 without this addition. In a chemical point of view this 

 method of proceeding claims to be designated as the most 

 rational and preferable, siuce it leads to a mutual com- 

 pletion and equalisation of the ingredients, imparting to 

 the mixture a higher value, and especially a more certain 

 operation than either of these manuring agents would have 

 separately." A plan used in America for dissolving small 

 quantities of bones is to fill an old barrel with alternate 

 layers of wood ashes and fresh bones broken in pieces with 

 hammers, and slightly wetting from time to time with hot 

 water. This is said to produce an excellent, easily soluble 

 manure. 



A more rapid, and, as it is held by the chemists, effective 

 method of treating bones is to convert them into super- 

 phosphate of lime. It is claimed for this method that it 

 is the most economical way of applying bones, the effects 

 being more immediate owing to the fertilising elements of 

 the bones being presented to the plants in a condition 

 readily taken up by them. It is essentially the manure for 

 the root crops and the top dressing of pastures, especially 

 upon close retentive soils. It is prepared by pouring sulph- 

 uric or muriatic acid over the bones. The proportion of 

 bones and acid to be employed are as follows : — 1 ton of 

 inch bones, J ton of sulphuric acid, 60 gallons or J ton 

 of boiling water. The requisites recommended are a cistern 

 of lead, or even of wood strongly made and bolted together, 

 and a watering can of lead. A small quantity of the bones 

 should be spread upon the bottom of the cistern, and the 

 sulphuric acid gradually poured in from the leaden water- 

 ing can, at the same time that a proportionate quantity 

 of the water is added from another watering can. More 

 bones should then be thrown in, then more acid and water ; 

 and in short the process should be managed so as to mix 

 the bones, water and acid as uniformly as possible. The 

 mixture should be allowed to stand for some days before 

 it is employed, and it should then be mixed with some dry 

 peat or soil in order to render it sufficiently dry for use. 

 The mixture thus made may be preserved for any length 

 of time before being used, so that it may be made at any 

 time which may suit the other operations of the farm, all 

 that is necessary being that it shall be kept under cover. 

 A substitute for the leaden cistern or wooden box re- 

 ferred to may be obtained by puddling a clay floor, upon 

 which, after it has been allowed to dry, the laying on of 

 the bones can take place, and the mixture of the acid and 

 water, similar to what has already been described. The 

 sides of the pile in this case must be made by building 

 ashes round the bones and trampling them well as the 

 formation of the heap proceeds. 



With respect to the effect bones have upon the soil, 

 they exercise a varying influence according as they are 

 applied — in their dry and roughly broken state ; their boiled, 

 n dueed and putrefied condition, or when prepared as super- 

 phosphate of lime. Even in the first-mentioned state the 

 wonderful effect of bones was demonstrated when, upon 

 the first discovery of their manorial value in England, thejf 

 gave the worn-out pastures of Cheshire a complete renewal 

 of all their early fertility. This is easily explained when 

 we find it proved by chemical analysis that there is about 

 1 lb. of phosphate of lime in every 25 or 30 gallons of 

 milk, and that the yearly demand made upon the resources 

 of the soil by one cow is equal to about 80 or 90 lb. of 

 bone. Touching the action of bone manure in the second 

 of the conditions referred to, an eminent chemist says : — 

 " In the fresh bone dust the nitrogen exists mainly in the 

 form of cartilaginous substances, and the phosphates in a 

 nearly insoluble state ; it is therefore only when the pro- 

 cess of decomposition in the soil has converted the nitrogen 

 into ammonia and other available forms of combination, 

 and has rendered the phosphates more easily soluble in 

 water, that the manure can minister to the requirements 

 of growing crops. In fermented or rotten bone dust, on 

 the other hand, the chemical changes referred to have 

 already taken place, and the constituents are to a consider- 

 able extent capable of being immediately utilised by plants." 

 By converting bones into the third condition referred to. 

 viz., superphosphate of lime, however, the quickening action 

 of their fertilising elements is so increased, especially in 

 their application to root crops, that Scott Burn quotes an 

 illustrative case in his own experience of a farmer who 

 proved one bushel of superphosphate made by dissolving 

 the bones with a third of their weight of sulphuric acid 

 to be equal to four bushels of simple bone dust. 



The question as to what crops and under what circum- 

 stances bones should be applied must be decided by the 

 agriculturist according to rules affected by his surrounding 

 circumstances. Assuming it as agreed that bones should 

 be applied mainly to the lime and potash variety of plants, 

 commonly alluded to as the " green crops," and which in- 

 clude the grasses, peas, beans and the mangold, potato, 

 onion and other roots, the form in which they should be 

 applied will be determined in a general way by the nature 

 of the soil. In open, non-retentive soils, from which the 

 more soluble manures are liable to be washed by the rains, 



