188 



thera are annually wasted. If bones, instead of being permitted to go 

 to loss, were collected anl dissolved in sulphuric acid, [oW of vitriol,) 

 and applied as manure for turnips, or as a top dressing for wheat, clo- 

 ver, or meadows, a great improvement in these crops would soon be 

 visible. Bones abound in phosphoric acid, a substance which forms a 

 great part of the grain of wheat, and exists in almost every useful 

 plant. Professor Fox advises farmers to boil the bones in sulphuric ac- 

 id ; I notice this merely to say that the greatest men are sometimes 

 astray in their opinions. The farmer should bear in mind that this plan 

 is not practicable, as sulphuric acid will destroy any vessel it is placed 

 in. The best plan for dissolving bones, is to break them into small 

 pieces with a heavy hammer, or crush them in a bone mill, and then 

 having formed a little tank of well tempered tile or brick clay, to place 

 the bones in it, and steep them in sulphuric acid. This preparation 

 should be |)laced in the corner of some shed or outhouse, and covered 

 up, 80 that no living thing can be injured by it. Wood ashes dissolve 

 bones, if they are placed in barrels and covered up carefully, the bones 

 in the centre. Bones have been very much used as a manure for tur- 

 nips and other green crops, with the most favorble results. 

 According to Antisell, the bones of the cow consist of: 



Phosphate of lime, 65|- 



Phosphate of magnesia, 3 



Soda and common salt, 3|^ 



Carbonate of lime, 3£- 



Fluoride of calcium, 1 



Gelatine, . 33|^ 



100 



Ashes as a Manure. 



Ashes of every description are a good manure. In Belgium the 

 farmers invariably apply a top dressing of prepared ashes as a manure 

 for their grain crops. For this purpose they make use of a mixture of 

 the ashes of clay, wood and coal, saturated with liquid manure, and 

 then dried by the addition of more ashes. 



In America, where wood ashes are so easily procured, the farmer can 

 readily provide an excellent manure for his wheat, clover, &c. Wood 

 ashes contain the salts of potash, and the phosphate of lime, which 



