148 



On the Preparation and Use of Manures. Vol. VIII. 



earthy, and others more of the animal parts ; 

 take those of the calf and the elk for exam- 

 ples, to which the teeth of the horse are 

 added. 



Phosphate of Carhnimte of Animal 



lime. lime. matter. 



Calf, 54. 46. 



Elk, 90. 1. 9. 



Teeth, 85.5 15.5 



Use of hones. — It is evident then, that 

 bones abound in matters capable of pro- 

 ducing ammonia. Dr. Dana estimates its 

 power in this respect, to be equal to eight 

 or ten times that of cow dung, while, if the 

 salts are regarded, 100 lbs. of bones contain 

 nearly sixty-six times as much as the same 

 quantity of cow dung. Experience proves 

 that the power of aiding crops, between 

 dung and bones, is about in the proportion 

 of the constituents named. It is evident 

 that much of the value of bones depends on 

 their cartilage. Boiling bones, as generally 

 practiced, has but little effect in extracting 

 the gelatine; and does not remove even all 

 the fat or oil. Under high pressure, as in 

 Papius's digester, the separation of the ani- 

 mal from the earthy matter, is complete. 

 The finer bones can be crushed or ground, 

 the better or quicker will their influence be 

 felt ; and boiling, by removing the exterior 

 cartilage and fat, renders the crushing more 

 perfect. It is owing to this cause, undoubt- 

 edly, that many of the English agriculturists 

 prefer dry to fresh bones ; as the dust made 

 from the former, is more suitable for sowing 

 or drilling with seeds, than that of the latter 

 Bone dust is the most efficient on light and 

 dry soils. It has been found also very use 

 ful on limestone soils and light loams ; but 

 on heavy clay or wet soils, this manure does 

 little or no good. Bone dust is one of the 

 most efficient manures on clover, particu 

 larly the white clover; ^exceeding gypsum 

 in its effects on this plant. This is ac- 

 counted for by the fact, that white clover 

 abounds in phosphate of lime; and the phos- 

 phates of bones supply it in abundance. Al 

 though principally employed as a manure 

 for turnips, in consequence of their import 

 ance in a rotation of crops for the animal: 

 of the farm, particularly sheep, it is consi 

 sidered by many farmers quite as useful 

 employed as a manure for potatoes, as it is 

 for turnips. Bones are found to be more 

 valuable, if subjected to a partial fermenta' 

 tion before being applied to the crops. If| 

 mixed with five or six times their weight of 

 vegetable mould or fine rich earth, and 

 turned over for several times for a few 

 weeks before using, the value is much in- 

 creased. Since the general use of bones 

 has been introduced into England, vast quan- 



tities are gathered and imported from all 

 parts of the world. As an instance of this 

 trafiiic, it may be mentioned that at Hull 

 alone, in 1815, eight thousand tons of bones 

 were imported ; and this amount, at the 

 same place, had increased in 1835, to twen- 

 ty-seven thousand five hundred tons. 



Guano. — Guano is another manure of 

 animal origin, which has lately been brought 

 to notice. It is the excrement of sea-birds; 

 and the immense masses of it e.xisting on 

 the rocky isles of the Pacific, in the vicinity 

 of Arica, in Peru, are the accumulations of 

 centuries. That, in this state, it differs 

 from the newer excrements, can scarcely be 

 questioned, as the action of the atmosphere 

 must have produced many chemical changes 

 during the lapse of years. Analysis shows 

 it to consist chiefly of insoluble and soluble 

 salts, chiefly phosphate of lime and organic 

 matter, or salts 32 parts, anJ organic matter 

 68. A large portion of the organic matter 

 is uric acid and ammonia ; and regarded as 

 a manure, it may be considered as a urate 

 of ammonia. It appears as a fine brownish 

 powder, with a strong marine or fishy smell, 

 and gives off'ammoniacal fumes when heated. 

 Several ship loads of this manure have been 

 carried to England ; and the experiments 

 show, what indeed the analysis would prove, 

 that it is to be classed among the most effi- 

 cient of manures. It has succeeded well, 

 whether applied to grain, grasses, or to roots. 

 There is no necessity of enlarging on this 

 manure here, as it is not probable that it 

 will ever be introduced to any extent into 

 the United States, while we have so many 

 easily accessible sources of fertility that 

 have as yet hardly been touched, among us. 

 It may be mentioned in this place, that the 

 dung of domestic fowls is one of the most 

 valuable of farm manures, far exceeding in 

 power even that of the hog or horse ; and 

 though not equal to guano in ammonia, pro- 

 bably from there not being as much animal 

 food used in its production, still deserving 

 more attention in this respect than it has 

 received. 



Various animal 'products. — All animal 

 products, capable of putrefaction or decom- 

 position, can be converted into manures; 

 fish, flesh, gristle, sinews, skin, horns, hair, 

 wool, and indeed all animal solids or fluids 

 are of this character. The man who allows 

 his dead animals to putrefy and waste away 

 above ground, is guilty of great improvi- 

 dence ; and converts what might be made a 

 valuable manure into a decided nuisance. 

 A dead horse, covered with earth or vege- 

 table mould, mixed with a little lime or gyp- 

 sum, will, when decayed and converted into 

 manure and spread on the soil, add to the 



