184 OF MANURE. 



clover, potatoes, turnips, &c., with phosphates. Bat 

 the form in which they are restored to a soil does 

 not appear to be a matter of indifference. For the 

 more finely the bones are reduced to powder, and 

 the more intimately they are mixed with the soil, 

 the more easily are they assimilated. The most easy 

 and practical mode of effecting their division is to 

 pour over the bones, in a state of fine powder, half 

 of their weight of sulphuric acid diluted with three 

 or four parts of water, and after they have been 

 digested for some time, to add one hundred parts 

 of water, and sprinkle this mixture over the field 

 before the plough. In a few seconds, the free acids 

 unite with the bases contained in the earth, and a 

 neutral salt is formed in a very fine state of division. 

 Experiments instituted on a soil formed from grau- 

 wacke, for the purpose of ascertaining the action of 

 manure thus prepared, have distinctly shown that 

 neither corn, nor kitchen-garden plants, suffer in- 

 jurious effects in consequence, but that on the con- 

 trary they thrive with much more vigor. 



It has also been found, that bones act more speed- 

 ily and efficaciously after being boiled. This is 

 probably owing to the removal of fatty matter, the 

 presence of which impedes the putrefaction of the 

 gelatin contained in them. 



In the manufactories of glue, many hundred tons 

 of a solution of phosphates in muriatic acid are 

 yearly thrown away as being useless. It would be 

 important to examine whether this solution might 

 not be substituted for the bones. The free acid 

 would combine with the alkalies in the soil, espec- 

 ially w^ith the lime, and a soluble salt would thus be 

 produced, which is known to possess a favorable 

 action upon the growth of plants. This salt, muriate 

 of lime (or chloride of calcium), is one of those 

 compounds which attracts water from the atmosphere 

 with great avidity, and in dry lands might advan- 

 tageously supply the place of gypsum in decompos- 

 ing carbonate of ammonia, with the formation of 



