87 



But are bones of great advantage as a manure ? On the basis 

 of their composition they should be eminently so. The analysis 

 of a typical Indian bone meal is as follows : 



Moisture ... ... ... 7*5 



Nitrogen ... ... ... 4*05 



Phosphoric Acid ... ... 23-25 



Equal to Phosphate of Lime ... 50*68 



But the actual value of the application in this form has 

 everywhere proved much less than would be anticipated on the 

 basis of the analysis. In fact according to recent experiments in 

 Germany,* the Phosphate of Lime, though it forms half of the weight 

 of manure, may be almost ignored in determining its' manurial worth, 

 and the whole value calculated at little more than that of the nitrogen 

 and organic matter. This being so, the benefit accruing from the 

 application of bone meal or steamed bones is much less than has 

 hitherto been assumed. In fact I doubt whether bone meal is ever 

 worth importing to Assam in this form at a price at Calcutta higher 

 than Rs. 2 per maund, at which it at present stands. 



On the spot bones are, however, very valuable, and worth 

 probably on the garden in Assam, about one rupee per maund before 

 crushing. Their limitations must, however, be recognised. They are 

 an exceedingly slow manure. In the first year no benefit will be seen, 

 only possibly some advantage in the second. In a recently published 

 report on one of the Darjeeling Tea Gardens t it is stated that the 

 beneficial effect of bone meal applied in 1897 was visible in 1900. 

 In fact it may be said that bone meal is an excellent manure to apply 

 to a good garden in order to keep it from deteriorating, but is not 

 sufficiently active alone to bring back a garden already deteriorated 

 into good condition, 



It has been said that bone meal causes the production of seed, 

 but of this I have not been able to obtain any evidence. 



Bone meal may be relied upon not to affect the quality of the 

 tea. It should be applied at the rate of 5 to 10 cwts. per acre, 

 ground so as to pass through a sieve of T 8 g- inch holes at least, 

 though even more finely ground bones are preferable, and would be 

 best applied buried round the bushes in a small trench made for the 

 purpose a foot away from the stem at the end of the rains while 

 the ground is still moist. For a consideration of the use and 

 value of dissolved bones see page 94. 



" On the effects of bone meal as a source of phosphoric acid to crops " by Maercker 

 and Steffek. Berlin. 1895. 



t Kurseong and Darjeeling Tea Co., 1901. 



