18 TliAASACTIOXS OF THE A. M ERIC AX INSTITUTE. 



can be done in either of two ways. The coarse bone can be melted 

 down with sulphuric acid, or by running it through a steel mill of 

 peculiar constru«tion it may be reduced to flour. 



Until recently bones were generally neglected and wasted in this 

 country. England lias been careful of her domestic bones, and a 

 great importer of them from all parts of the world for about thirty 

 years. The rate of production of bones is about a ton daily from 

 20,000 persons. A city of 100,000 population yields about five tons 

 dailj'. These five tons arq a good top-dressing for forty acres of land, 

 allowing 250 pounds per acre, a fair though not a heavy application. 

 At this rate. New York can, with her millions of mouths, furnish 

 bone top-dressing for 400 acres daily. Philadelphia can top-dress 

 200 acres ; Chicago 100 acres, and other cities at the same rate. 

 When 100 pounds of good, honest bone-meal is analyzed it is found 

 to contain forty-one pounds, nearly half, or organic matter, in 

 the form of jelly. This jelly yields five per cent, five pounds of 

 ammonia, which is valued as twenty cents a pound as a manure. It 

 has fourteen pounds of phosphoric acid, worth as much as ammonia; 

 seventeen pounds of bone phosphate, estimated at two cents, and 

 severwpounds of carbonic acid, rated the same as bone phosphate. 



Placed in tabular form the figures look thus : 



In 100 pounds honest bone-meal : 



50 per cent of organic matter, yielding five pounds of ammo- 

 nia, worth twenty cents a pound $1 00 



14 pounds phosphoric acid, worth twenty cents per pound 2 80 



IT pounds of bone phosphate, worth two cents per pound. 34 



7 pounds carbonic acid, worth two cents per pound 14 



2-^ ])Ounds insoluble matter, worth 00 



9^ pounds lime, worth comparatively Of 



100 pounds ; worth in the soil $4 28 



The flesh and cartilage on bones as they are collected are of co»- 

 siderable value, as much no doubt, as seventy -five cents to 100 pounds. 

 This makes the nominal substances in 100 pounds of raw bones worth 

 five dollars when properly applied to the soil ; that is to say the 

 farmer will not lose money if his bones, in the soil, have cost him 

 $100 a ton. 



A short calculation will show our agricultural readers how many 

 thousand tons of most valuable elements, , and how many million 

 dollars are yearly wasted in America by the throwing away of bones. 



