220 WALL'S MANUAL 



agricultural purposes, chiefly on account of the very 

 fine state of division, The bone meal ferments, 

 some ammonia is given off, the phosphate of lime 

 combines with the animal matter, and is easily dis- 

 solved by rain water, 



CALCINED BONES OR BURNED BONES, SUGAR- 

 MOUSE REFUSE, OR BONE-BLACK, 



Bones are easily reduced to the state of ashes, by 

 piling them up with light- Wood or faggots and firing 

 the heap. The bones continue burning until reduced 

 to whiteness, become as brittle as pipe stems, and are 

 very easy to grind, By this mode, all the animal 

 matter is burned out. In the state of ash, phos- 

 phate of lime is less soluble than bone meal ; hence, 

 does not act as quickly, nor mature a crop as rapidly 

 as the latter. It has been found by treating bone ash, 

 as also bone meal, with certain acids, the phosphate 

 of lime is brought into a highly soluble state, The 

 cheapest acid, and the one commonly used for this 

 purpose, is sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol; which 

 produces by its action on bone, both plaster and a 

 soluble phosphate of lime, called super- phosphate of 

 lime. In this state, bone acts quicker and goes 

 farther than in any other form, 



There are various methods of dissolving bones 

 with oil of vitriol (sulphuric acid), It should be 

 borne in mind that this acid is highly corrosive, and 

 requires great care in handling it, or the hand may 

 be burned, an eye lost or clothes destroyed, 



First method. Take one hundred pounds of 

 crushed bones the smaller the better -place them in 

 a hogshead, pour upon them five or six gallons of 



