374 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



season wheu it is applied. This is due to the fact, that in the 

 organized structure of bone, every molecule of phosphate, infiu- 

 itesimally small, is separated from the next by animal matter sub- 

 ject to decay, and as it decomposes they fall apart. 



If bone be charred to "bone coal," or burned to "ash" before 

 being ground and applied to the soil, it is less soluble than if un- 

 burned, and unless treated with acid, and thus first converted into 

 soluble phosphate, it requires much longer for plants to appro- 

 priate it to their needs. Bone ash is imported from South America. 

 Boaes are burned in close retorts to furnish bone charcoal, which 

 is largely used by sugar refiners to decolorize their syrups ; and 

 after it will no longer serve their purpose, is sold for the manufac- 

 ture of superphosphates. Hock guanoes, and other phosphatic 

 guanoes of varying grades of quality, are also extensively used 

 for the same purpose. In some of them, the phosphate is in a 

 state of tolerably minute division ; and just in proportion to the 

 fineness of its particles is the ease with which it is taken up by 

 plants. Apatite, or mineral phosphate, found in Upper Canada, is 

 also employed. Some of this is very rich in phosphoric acid, but 

 so insoluble that unless treated with acid it would remain for years 

 in the soil as inert as so much sand, even although made small 

 " as the fine dust of the balance." 



Latterly, a new and very extensive source of phosphatic material 

 has bieen discovered in South Carolina, where exist fossil deposits, 

 of obscure origin, immense in amount, but less rich in phosphoric 

 acid than the substances above named. With proper treatment 

 and suitable additions, these South Carolina coprolites are capable 

 of producing a commercial manure which will do good service, as 

 far as it goes, but will not make a highly concentrated manure, 

 and consequently should be sold at a moderate price. 



The abundance of these deposits, and the ease with which they 

 are mined, will serve beyond doubt to work a wonderful change in 

 the agriculture of the Southern States, feeding their impoverished 

 soils with what they lack, and thus restoring fertility to number- 

 less acres abandoned because of the exhaustive culture usually 

 accompanying slave labor. 



The very lack of a large per centage of phosphate in these 

 deposits is destined to work good to the South ; for were they 

 much richer they would undoubtedly be largely exported to 

 Europe wliich stands ready to buy all which comes up to their 

 standard of desirable quality. As it is, they will be chiefly used 



