160 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4 



Maryland," for the purpose of maintaining our oppo- 

 site opinion — which, however, has been not the least 

 shaken by his argument, and we earnestly hope that 

 no one of our correspondents will be more afff^cted by 

 his expressions. While all writers are welcome to this 

 journal, who have any information to give, whether 

 anonymously, or under their proper signatures, we re- 

 peat, what we know to be true, that statements of facts 

 lose half their claim to credit, half their interest and 

 their chance of being useful, by being anonymous. 

 Even the writer of the "Eastern Shore of Maryland" 

 has given some evidence of his concurrence in our 

 view — for some of his contributions (and for this reason 

 the most valuable,) to this journal, have been made over 

 his real signature. 



In conclusion, if we cannot guard against, or remove, 

 every feeling of anger from both our highly esteemed 

 and valued correspondents, we at least trust that neither 

 will hereafter be disposed to criticize too nicely the 

 other's pieces, (if they should be known as such un- 

 der other signatures.) It is a safe rule, for all verbal 

 and literal errors to be charged, by readers, to the care- 

 lessness, or misconstruction, or ignorance, of the printer 

 or the editor; and it so happens that both our correspon- 

 dents sometimes need such favorable construction, be- 

 cause the writing of both, though very correct in design, 

 is so illegible in fact, that it is rare than either can com- 

 municate with the public in print, without sulferino- 

 somewhat by typographical mistakes — which, in most 

 publications, as well as this, are sufficiently numerous, 

 even when no such sufficient excuse is furnished to the 

 printers by the writers themselves. — Ed. Far. Reg.] 



From the Mark Lane Express. 



lance's "animalized carbon." 



Sir — A correspondent in 3'our last week's pa- 

 per, asks tlie question, "is it possible to Ibrni a 

 factitious bone dust, by impregnatinij: lime with 

 phosphoric acid, so as to form a cheaper manure 

 to the farmer, than the present expensive bone 

 dust, and which is often not to be got in sufficient 

 quantities? To this query I decidedly answer 

 yes. It is now done, and selling in large quantities 

 in London; prepared somewhere in the neiiWibor- 

 liood of the Regent's Park, and known as Lance's 

 Animalized Carbon. The article was first pre- 

 pared in Paris, the agricultural society of that 

 city having awarded the inventor a considerable 

 sum, and subsequently at Copenhagen, from 

 whence Scotland has hitherto been sup'plied, and 

 where its use has given the fullest satisfaction. 



I have procured Lance's preparation from an 

 agent at Basingstoke, and like it as well as bone 

 dust— much better indeed than the coarser sort. 

 That it is composed of phosphoric acid with lime, 

 any chemist may convince himself; but when it is 

 known that human urine and fceces are considera- 

 ble ingredients in the compound, those who have 

 read it will be satisfied that phosphoric acid may 

 be extracted from these matters; but to prove its 

 similarity to bones, I have mixed about one-tburth 

 quantity of lime in the state of dust, and am quite 

 satisfied with the results. With respect to price, 

 mine cost me little more than half what I have 



paid for bones. As to the second question, "it is 

 granted that phosphoric acid is procured from 

 bones; but where does nature procure it to form 

 these bones?" To answer this question fully, 

 would lead too much into scientific inquiries, for 

 a newspaper paragraph, and not be in^ereaiing to 

 the general reader; but I will briefly say, that the 

 acid in question is Ibund in the earth, and pervad- 

 ing many vegetables, and all animals, as well as 

 their excrementitious matters; that it is taken up 

 by all corn, particularly wheat, as has been 

 proved; which gives out the acid in union with 

 lime for the formation of bone. The milk of the 

 mother is Ibund to yield the largest quantity of 

 phosphate of lime at the period of bringing Ibrth 

 theoliispring. The chick in the egg receives the 

 bony substance from the shell, hence it is thinnest 

 at the latter period of incubation. Your corres- 

 pondent may, with equal propriety^ ask why this is 

 so, as to inquire where did nature procure the acid. 

 All I recommend is, that he tries eome Lance's 

 Animallized Carbon, as a substitute for bonedusfy 

 and if not satisfied with that answer, lot him say 

 so, and he will be further informed by 



A Surrey Farmer, 

 y^pril 27, 1837. 



From tbe same. 



ON BONE MANURE. 



Sir — In your paper of the 24tb of Aprils is s 

 letter li-om a correspondent respecting the possibil- 

 ity of manufacturing a factitious bone dust, by im- 

 pregnating lime with phosphoric acid, so as to form 

 a cheaper manure than ihat procured from bones. 

 In answer to that question, I beg to say. that there 

 is not any means by which lime can be impreg- 

 nated with phosphoric acid, for the purpose be in- 

 tends it for, as there are not any cheaper or readier 

 means of obtaining the acid, than from that of 

 bones. In proof of that, it is only necessary tostate, 

 that it is the source always applied to by such 

 chemists and manufacturers as require its agency. 

 There is a natural phosphate of lime which is 

 known under the name of assatise and asparagus 

 stone, which is only found, in any quantity, in Swe- 

 den and Spain. As to the question, where does 

 nature procure it, to form these bones, I cannot af- 

 ford any inlbrmation, as it is one of the many phy- 

 siological facts that has long puzzled the scientific. 

 True it is that many vegetable substances contain 

 a small quantity of phosphoric acid in combination 

 with lime, magnesia, and iron, but nothing in pro- 

 portion to the mass required by the animal 

 frame, for duly impregnating the bone ; for, 

 the bone, you are aware, is a frame work of 

 gelatine, rendered firm by a deposition of phos- 

 phate and carbonate of lime. Vauquelin and 

 others, by their experiments, have proved that there 

 is an insufficiency of the phosphate taken into the 

 system to supply the required quantity; and this 

 has led many to assume that phosphorus is not a 

 simple body, but that it is generated out of other 

 materials in the body; it is moreover well estab- 

 lished that animals give out more phosphates than 

 they have taken in, and that after having supplied 

 the system with what it is in need of for the sup- 

 port of the bones. While on this subject, allow 

 me to observe, that I think there has been some 

 error in ascribing the benefit derived from bones as 

 proceeding from the phosphate of lime they con- 



