BONES IN THE MANURE HEAP. 335 



phates, provided its organic nitrogenous matter is in a state 

 of some putrefaction. A good bone-meal in a partly decom- 

 posed state has for this reason been found safer upon a calca- 

 reous or ferruginous soil than superphosphates of lime, par- 

 ticularly in case of the deeper-rooting crops. 



The organic nitrogenous mass, which accompanies the bone 

 phosphate (tricalcic phosphate) in the bones, is identical with 

 glue. A fresh solution of glue does not dissolve the bone 

 phosphate ; whilst decaying glue dissolves it largely, and car- 

 ries it without any serious interference to the lower layers of 

 the soil. 



To scatter ground bones daily in small quantities over the 

 fresh barn-yard manure, designed for the cultivation of grain 

 or root crops, is for several reasons very recommendable ; it 

 adds some of the most essential articles of plant-food — phos- 

 phoric acid and nitrogen — in a very available form, to the 

 barn-yard manure resulting from scanty feeding ; and prevents 

 also in a large degree the escape of ammonia, which is con- 

 tinually produced in decaying animal excretions. A very 

 efficient article of steamed bones for agricultural purposes is 

 of late manufactured, by first rendering the bones for the 

 removal of the fat ; and subsequently evaporating bones and 

 soup to dryness ; it contains a larger percentage of nitrogenous 

 matter than ordinary steamed bones. This preparation, in 

 a finely pulverized condition, is claimed to exceed all other 

 bone-fertilizers in efficiency, being equally well adapted to all 

 kinds of soil. 



I. — Ammoniated Superphosphates, and Superphosphates. 



(Messrs. W. L. Bradley & Go's XI. Collected of Messrs. Bagg & Batchelder, of 



Springfield, Mass.) 



Found. 

 Per Cent. 



Total phosphoric acid, 

 Sohible " 

 Reduced " " 



Insoluble " " 



Nitrogen, 



11.62 

 7.74 

 1.06 



2.82 

 2.88 



