337 



ANALYSIS OF GRAPES. 



NEW PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING BONES USED AS FER- 

 TILIZERS- 



The importance of phosphates, such as common bones, as fertilizers, especially 

 in grain-culture, could hardly be extolled, and it Avould be presuming upon the 

 intelligence of our fiirmers to say more than to recommend its practical applica- 

 tion. There exist, however, some obstacles which yet prevent waste bones, 

 nearly always cheap and within easy reach, from being generally used. The 

 .great distances in the far west, and other inconveniences, render their purchase 

 in powder-form expensive, and for grinding them at home, or dissolving them 

 in acid, there is still less chance. 



Professor Ilienhof, in Kussia, has, however, lately discovered a method for 

 dissolving them, which must prove highly economical and suitable in unsettled 

 countries, where, owing to the great abundance of forests, wood-ashes are 

 cheaply secured, indeed .are almost always ready at hand. This new process 

 of treating bones consists of mixing them with wood-ashes and slaked caustic 

 lime, and keeping the mixture constantly moist. As in the preparation of lye 

 for manufacturing soap, the alkaline carbonates in the ashes, such as carbonate 

 of potassa, are, by the action of caustic lime, conA^rted into free, caustic potassa, 

 attacking and quickly dissolving the bones. 



The following practical example will illustrate the necessary proceeding : 

 Suppose the wood-ashes to contain about 10 per cent, carbonate of potassa, 

 and that 4,000 pounds of bones are to be worked up : then we take 4,000 

 pounds of ashes, 600 pounds of caustic lime, and 4,500 pounds of water ; a ditch 

 some two feet deep, of such width and length as to hold 6,000 pounds of the 

 mixture, is dug, and near it a second ditch, being some 25 per cent, larger, and 

 both lined with boards. The lime is then slaked, and, when crumbled to a pow- 

 der, mingled with the wood-ashes, and 2,000 pounds of bones piled up in layers 



