214 BONES. 



a shovel, with three quarts of water by means of a 

 watering-pot, until the whole is uniformly moistened ; 

 add gradually eleven pounds of English sulphuric 

 acid, the agitation with the shovel being contin- 

 ued. A brisk effervescence of the mass will ensue, 

 which will not, however, rise above the margin of 

 the pit, if the acid is poured on in separate small 

 quantities. After twenty-four hours, sprinkle again 

 with three quarts of water ; add the same quantity 

 of sulphuric acid as before, with the same brisk 

 shovelling of the mass, and leave the substance^ so 

 brought into contact to act for another twenty-four 

 hours upon each other. Afterwards intermix the 

 finely powdered bone-dust previously sifted off, and, 

 finally, shovel the ashes and earth of the pit into the 

 resolved bones, until they are thoroughly and uni- 

 formly mixed together. 



In this way a friable powder is obtained, which, if 

 it is not mixed with stable-muck, can be easily and 

 uniformly scattered on the field with the hand, or by 

 means of a w^ooden shovel. 



The quantity of sulphuric acid above prescribed 

 (22 lbs. to 1 cwt. of bone-dust) is, indeed, considera- 

 bly less than that employed in England, where from 

 one third to one half the v/eight is added to the bone- 

 dust ; but I hold that it is in every way more prudent 

 to employ too little than too much sulphuric acid ; 

 since in the former case, if the bone-dust is impure, 

 or of too coarse quality, or, again, if the preparation 

 is not perfectly well executed, less danger is incurred 



