SUPERPHOSPHATE OF LIME. 



281 



ing a rose at the end, so as to disperse it thor- 

 oughly, and tiic carboy ot' acid is then emp- 

 tied by means of a siphon. Tliis siphon is 

 formed of a piece of block-tin i)ipe, which 

 can be bent into any form, about ^ of an inch 

 in caliber, and 4 feet in length. A brass cock 

 is soldered to the long end of the sijihon, on 

 which the rose of a watering-])ot may be 

 placed. The siphon is now Idled with wa- 

 ter, and its long end closed with the cock, 

 and the small end with the hand or finger. 

 Tlie latter is then <iuickly inserted into the 

 mouth of the carboy, the cock turned on, iuid 

 the acid will continue to flow till the vessel 

 is nearly empty, without any assistance, so 

 that the attendant has no occasion to expose 

 himself to the injuries and ot!ensive fumes 

 which almost innnediately begin to escape. 

 He may, however, approach the windwaixl 

 side of the tub, and give the mixture a little 

 stirring, which should be continued for some 

 little time afterward, so that the mixtxire may 

 be complete. A convenient utensil for this 

 pui-pose is a fork with two grains, long in the 

 gram, bent at some distance from the gi'aius 

 nearly at right angles, and fixed in a wooden 

 handle. On the same day a fresh lot of bones 

 mav be added, and the process repeated un- 

 til the hogshead is iieai-ly fidl. In two days 

 afterward the mixture may be shoveled into 

 a heap, luid either rem;un till wanted or mixed 

 at once with a certain portion of ashes. It 

 should be shoveled over several times and 

 ashes added at each time of turning, which 

 will thus render the mixture fine and diy 

 iiiough to pass through an ordinary (h-ill. 



It must be evident that much of the value 

 and economy of the manure depends on its 

 being perfecdy mixed, so that eveiy particle 

 of bone should be exposed to the action of 

 the acid. In many cases I have no doubt 

 tliis has not been suflicieStly attended to, 

 and the result has been either that more acid 

 has been used than is really required, or that 

 much of the advantageous effects has been 

 lost. 



By the method which I have here recom- 

 mended, and which I have adojjted after 

 many trials, the mixtui'e can be readily and 

 accurately manufactured, and with perfect 

 safety to the attendants.* 



0. EtTect of various tpianiities applied in 

 combination or comparison with common 

 bones and other known manures. 



My own experience of the advantages of 

 sulphated bones commenced in the veiy dry 

 summer of 1344. Wishing to try iheir effects, 

 and thinking that it was highly desirable to 

 apply them as a compost by means of the 

 drill (though I had not heard of any inst^iuces 

 in which they had been so used), I resolved 

 to make the attempt. I intendt;d to apply 



* In manufacturing a considerable quantity of the 

 mixture to meet a large demand for the present sea- 

 son (184G), I have found much advantage from con- 

 structing various utensils of ditferent shapes, so as to 

 perfect the mixture without inconvenience to the 

 attendants, as well as from other improvements in 

 the mnnipulaiive process. [Aut. 



(569) 



the bones at the rate of 3A bushels j)cr acre, 

 and lialf tlifir weight of acid : but from not 

 making suflicient allowance for the dampness 

 of the maiuire, it extended over a large por- 

 tion of land, so that little more than 2 bu.shels 

 per acre were tised with about l(i bushels of 

 iislies. On the same day (in tlie early part 

 of .luly) other portions of the field were 

 drilled with bone-dust at the rate of l(i bush- 

 els per acre, and some ])art8 witii South 

 American guano. The bones and acid 

 Swedes were the first to appear, and their 

 toj)s grew jiiost luxuriantly. The turnips 

 suffered from not biniig hoed till they were 

 too forward, but the crop throughout the field 

 (considering the late period of their being 

 drilled, and other unfavorable circumstances) 

 was a very f lir one, abotit 14 tons to the acre. 

 Tiie bones and acid j)ortion was fully equal to 

 the rest, and indeed somewhat better than 

 where IC bushels of boues had been applied 

 to the acre. 



Every alternate ridge was carted off, and 

 the remaining half fed off by old ewes with 

 no other food, with the exception of a litde 

 inferior iiay. The field was then sowii with 

 dredge (a mixture of beans, barley and peas), 

 and the croj) was a veiy excellent one ; that 

 where the vitriolized bones had been used 

 was at the least fully equal to any portion of 

 the field, and indeed somewhut superior to 

 that dressed with bones alone. Thus it will 

 be seen that the manure answers perfectly 

 well so far as the second crop is concerned ; 

 and there is now the prospect of a good clover 

 crop. 



The result of the preceding year ha\'ing 

 fully satisfied me as to the value and econo- 

 my of vitriolized bones, I did not think it ne- 

 cessaiy to test their merits against other ma- 

 nures during the last season, particularly as 

 other equally successfid experiments had 

 been tried and published. 



But, wishing to ascertain the most econom- 

 ical proportion of acid to be employed, I pre- 

 pared two lots for a field of G acres. In one 

 the bone-dust was at the rate of 4 bushels to 

 the acre, and the acid one-third : and in the 

 other the acid was half the weight of the 

 bones, but the latter was diminished so as to 

 reduce the cost of both lots to the same sum. 

 The mixture in each instiuico extended over 

 half an acre more than was intended, and was 

 mixed with equal portions of ashes, viz. about 

 20 bushels to the acre. 



The Swedes came up well, and. though at- 

 ticked by the fly, soon got out of its way, and 

 {jfovcd a very good crop. The average of 

 the field, however, was veiy much reduced 

 by the great cpiantity of hedge-row timber by 

 which it was surrounded, and which spread 

 its blighting influence a consiiierable distance. 

 However much these trees might add to the 

 beauty of the landscape, they cert;iinly de- 

 stroyed most effectually the beauty and uni- 

 fonnity of the turnip crop, antl reduced the 

 average of the field seveial tons jier acre. A 

 good portion of the field appeai'ed to average 



