VALUE AND COST OF BONES. 209 



it makes no difference whether they get it from bone, from 

 nitrogenous products, or from manure. It resolves itself into 

 tiie question of cost — which is the cheapest ? You can attain 

 these results in both ways. Which is the cheapest ? I regard 

 bones, at a cost not exceeding forty dollars a ton, as a cheap fer- 

 tilizing agent ; but if you have to pay sixty dollars a ton, I 

 should probably not advise their use very largely. Of course 

 there are special purposes for which you must use bones. For 

 instance, on low ground, where you cannot go with your oxen 

 or horses. I think that is a very important point to consider — 

 that you can carry these fertilizers where you cannot carry 

 manures. But at sixty dollars a ton, I think it would cost more 

 to produce a crop from bones than to produce it from other 

 sources. You are not using a strange thing when you use bones. 

 You are using what the plant requires. If it gets it from bones 

 that is one source ; if it gets it from manure, that is another 

 source. Bones will furnish plant nutriment if you put them in 

 an assimilable condition. If you do not, they are no better 

 than pebble stones. If you make them fine enough, you will 

 receive benefit. 



Mr. Stone. I recollect thirteen years ago, reading in Stock- 

 liardt's Field Lectures, that in Saxony, and in some of the adja- 

 cent provinces, they had abandoned, the use of manure, and 

 were using only bone dust. Do you know the result of those 

 experiments, or whether they still continue ? 



Dr. Nichols. I do not ; but I have no hesitation in saying 

 that in Saxony, and through that section, they use bones very 

 largely indeed, with very great success. There has been some 

 wrong teaching in regard to bones on tlie part of chemists, but 

 as soon as we understand them, and know how to apply them, 

 I regard them as very important fertilizing substances. 



Question. Is there not a great difference in wood ashes, 

 growing out of the wood they are produced from, and will not 

 some work up bone quicker than others ? 



Dr. Nichols Undoubtedly. I have usually recommended 

 adding to tlie heap a few pounds of caustic potash. You will 

 find that it will aid you very much in breaking up your bones ; 

 and you can use caustic soda with great advantage. It is cheaper 

 than potash. 



Mr. Hapgood. I have a quantity of coal ashes, and I thought 



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