1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



65 



Boiie Dust as a Manure. 



we are glad that one man more has called public 



[ attention to it. Within the last five years we 



To THE Readers of the Farmer — I ap- { have published more than twenty times a state- 

 prehend that it is both the privilege and the duty j ment of the fact that, bones can be boiled in 

 of every one who wishes the advancement of the | strong lye to a powder ; and then, by mixing the 

 science of Agriculture, to lend their influence | bones and lye in a compost of vegetable mold, 

 in promoting every rational suggestion, the ob 



jeict of which is to improve this greatest of all 

 arts. In this light I view the valuable sugges- 

 tions of our estimable friend of Agriculture, A. 

 Blake, of Peoria, on the subject of bone dust 

 as a manure, and the erection of a bone mill, 

 Avhich are very common and successful in 

 Europe, 



My former business (that of making sausages 

 for the Albanv market,") has led me to make ma 



manure, or muck and lime, a most valuable fer- 

 tilizer is ready for use. 



Shelters For Stock. — The Naturalist., pub- 

 lished at Nashville, Tennessee, gives its readers 

 some important advice on this liead, in a few 

 words. It says that no farmer at the north, thinks 

 of exposing his cattle, sheep and hogs to the pelt- 

 ings of the storm ; but that it is not so at the 

 South. He adds — " if there be reason in any- 

 nv experiments to ascertain the amount of bone thing, shelters are quite as important at the South 

 in pork; which I find to be from 7 to 9 lbs a; as at the North. We have much more cold, 

 hundred. The general average is about 8 lbs of ''ainy weather here, and it is the kind to injure 

 bone to a hundi-ed weight of poi-k. i stock more than snows, or the cold northern 



I have much wanted to see something publish- 1 ^last." This is no doubt true ; but stock are not 

 ed on this subject, as I am a farmer, "and have ! «f "\"f ^^ sheltered, even at the North, as they 

 likewise recently become the keeper of the Mon- 1 ^'^0"^^^ ^e or as would be for the mterest of the 

 roe Countv Poor House: in which is kept on i ^^'■"^^^•' ^'^^"f,^ ^lie practice of sheltermg is nriuch 

 " about 22.-> inmates, who consume ' '\^f''^ S^"^^^^ ''^''^ than in the section al uded to 



We agree, however, in the remark that shelter,or 

 some kind, is as important there as here, and 



an average, about 22.> inmates 



about twenty thousand pounds of pork annually; 



weight of bone, at 8 lbs a hundred, 1600. — ; , , , i i • , i ■ , 



Twenty thousand pounds of beef, at 16 lbs a: "-oi'l^ ^^ «tte»dec with as great advantages in the 



lundred, 3200. For veal, mutton, &c., say saying of tood and in mcreasmg the comfort of 



hundrea, H'zvu. for veal, mutton, occ, say 

 500. Total weight of bones for one year in 

 County House, 5,300 lbs., which, if ground, 

 would make, at 50 lbs a bushel, 106 bushels. 



vSuppose the seventy thousand inhabitants of 

 the County to consume in like ratio, they would 



animals. 



Plant Trees. — Plant trees every where, we 

 say ; let them shade our streets, and grow 

 wherever there is room for them. Especially 

 plant them in the country, where open fields 

 pick and wa^te no less than 1,613,333 lbs of i will admit, and be sure that in the end they will 

 bones; which, if ground, would make 32,266 surprise the planter by their growth whilst he 

 bushels of bone dust; which, if applied to land j and his children are sleeping! In evidence of 

 at 3 bushels per acre (a quantity which it is said ' this, let us quote an anecdote to the purpose. — 

 would increase the productiveness of the soil for j It is related of a farmer in Long Island, that he 

 6 years,) would manure near 11,000 acres. And planted an ordinary field of fourteen acres, with 

 if one bushel is equal to 3 loads of barn yard | suckers from the locust (a native of this country) 

 manure, which is considered to be a fact, it would j in the year of his marriage, as a portion for his 

 be equal to 96,798 loads of manure, which is an- j children. His eldest son married at twenty-two. 

 nuallylost and thrown away ; equal to -f 72,598, ; On this occoasion the farmer cut about 15 hun- 

 at the moderate price of 75 cents a load. j dred dollars worth of timber out of his locust 



With these things to look at, which I believe : wood, which he gave to his son to buy a settle- 

 to be within the bounds of truth, who can doubt I ment in Lancaster county. Three years after 

 but a bone mill would be profitable, if erected in | he did as much for his daughter. And thus he 

 the vicinity of Rochester, as well as other places. I provided for his whole family; the wood in the 

 I was led to reflect on the above subject the i mean time repairing by suckers all the losses it 

 more because my predecessor as keeper of the js'-iffered. — Boston Transcript. 



County Hou-e was in the uniform practice of| 



carting the bones to and throwing them in the 1 Never keep your cattle short ; kw farmers can 

 Genesee river. I have for the want of a mill to ! aftbrd-it. If you starve them they will starve you. 



grind them, deposited them with the manure in 

 the barn-yard. In the absence of a mill, will 

 some one tell me what better can be done with 

 them 1 I am satisfied it is not the best method 

 except under the existing circumstances. 



.TOHN H. ROBIXSOX. 



Rochester, '2d mo. 1847. 



It will not do to hoe a great field for a little 

 crop, or to mow twenty acres for five loads of hay. 

 Enrich the land and it will pay you for it. Bet- 

 ter farm 30 acres well than 50 acres by halves. 



In dry pastures dig for water on the brow of a 



hill; springs are more frequently near the surface 

 on a height than in a vale. 

 Remarks. — This is an important subject ; and I Rain is cash to a farmer. 



