424 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



bones in the tub and turn on one-half of the acid 

 and water. In twenty-four hours afterwards, sLu* 

 the mass, and if the bones are not all dissolved, 

 pour on more of the acid and water, and so con- 

 tinue to do, until the whole is reduced to a pulp 

 or paste. Another method of accomplishing the 

 same result, is by making a heap of the bones on 

 the barn or other floor ; but it is not so safe and 

 economical as the first method we have described. 

 When this has been affected, dry finely-pulver- 

 ized muck should be intimately mixed with it, un- 

 til the whole will bo in such a dry state as to enable 

 a person to scatter it with a shovel or by hand, 

 evenly over the pile of muck with which it is in- 

 tended to be composted. There is no loss in using 

 the sulphuric acid, as it decomposes the silicates 

 (sand) of the soil, forming new elements which 

 are decomposed by the living plants, and are fed 

 on by them. Now, then, the materials all being at 

 hand, the pile may be constructed by a layer of 

 the muck, six inches in thickness, then a sprink- 

 ling of the bone-dust scattered evenly over it, 

 and so on, until the materials are all used. This 

 compost we consider in value next to that of muck 

 and barn-manure, and plenty of examples might 

 be cited to sustain this opinion were it necessary. 

 Professor J. P. Norton, Elements, p. 9S, says, 

 "Two or three bushels of these dissolved bones, 

 with half the usual quantity of yard manure, are 

 sufficient for an acre. This is, therefore, an ex- 

 ceedingly powerful fertilizer. One reason for its 

 remarkable eftect is, that the bones are, by being 

 dissolved, brought into a state of such minute di- 

 vision, that they are easily, and at once available 

 for the plant. A peculiar phosphate of lime is 

 formed, called by chemists a superphosphate, 

 which is very soluble ; and in addition to this, 

 ■we have the sulphuric acid, of itself an excellent 

 application to most soils." In gardening, and 

 especially on the light lands commonly used for 

 that purpose, this compost is one of the most 

 convenient to use, quick in its effects upon the 

 plants to which it is applied, and yet permanent 

 in its results. The farmer cannot exercise too 

 much care in this branch of his industry, for none 

 of his labors will more amply reward him, or pro- 

 duce to him more gratifying results, than those 

 which he bestows upon his compost heap of 

 muck and bones. 



Farming and Boot-Making. — In giving an 

 account of the late shocmaking strike, the Editor 

 of the Boston Cultivator makes the following 

 statement : 



"We have in mind a first rate bootmaker that 

 followed the business until his health failed him — 

 his only choice being between an early grave and 

 farming. He somewhat reluctantly chose the lat- 

 ter, and having been brought up on a farm, as 



was his wife, was successful, and in the course of 

 ten years, found himself possessed of property 

 worth $jOOO, with health improved, and with an 

 apparent lease for a long and happy life amid a 

 large and thriving family. Had his health per- 

 mitted of his following the employment of boot- 

 making, he would not have abandoned it, and 

 would, probably, have reached life's terminus just 

 about even with the world. Now if he lives to the 

 age of threescore and ten, he will, according to 

 present prospects, possess a real estate worth 

 $20,000, besides having trained up and educated 

 a large family." 



ICE WATEB. 



If the reader is down town or away from home 

 on a hot day, and feels as if it would be perfectly 

 delicious to have a glass of lemonade, soda wa- 

 ter or brandy toddy, by all means let him resist 

 the temptation until he gets home, and then take 

 a glass of cool water, a swallow at a time, Avith a 

 second or two interval between each swallow. 

 Several noteworthy results will most assuredly 

 follow. 



After it is all over, you will feel quite as well 

 from a drink of water, as if you had enjoyed a 

 free swig of either of the others. 



In ten minutes after you will feel a great deal 

 better. 



You will not have been poisoned by the lead 

 or copper which is most genei-ally found in soda 

 water. 



You will be richer by six cents, which will be 

 the interest on a dollar for a whole year ! 



You vi'ill not have fallen down dead from the 

 sudden chills which sometimes result from drink- 

 ing soda, iced water, or toddy, in a hurry. 



No well man has any business to eat ices or to 

 drink iced liquids in any shape or form, if he 

 wants to preserve his teeth, protect the tone of 

 his stomach, and guard against sudden inflamma- 

 tion and prolonged dyspepsias. It is enough to 

 make one shudder to see a beautiful young girl 

 sipping scalding coffee or tea at the beginning of 

 a meal, and then close it with a glass of ice wa- 

 ter ; for at thirty she must either be snaggle- 

 toothed, or wear those of the dead or artificial. 



Fr-^sh spring or well water is abundantly cool 

 for any drinking purpose whatever. In cities 

 where water is artificially supplied, the case is 

 somewhat different ; but even then there is no 

 good excuse for drinking ice water, because, even 

 if the excuse v/ere good in itself, the effects on 

 the stomach and teeth are the same. 



Make a bag of thick woollen doubled, lined 

 with muslin ; fill it with ice ; have in a pitcher 

 F.n inch or two of water above the faucet, and let 

 this bag of ice be suspended from the cover within 

 two inches of the surface of the water. The ice 

 will melt sloM-ly and keep the water delightfully 

 cool, but not ice cold. A still better cficct will 

 be produced if the pitcher is also well enveloped 

 in woollen. Again, water almost as cool as it 

 can be, unless it has ice actually in it, may be had 

 without any ice at all, by enveloping a closed 

 pitcher partly filled with water, with several folds 

 of cotton, linen or bagging, and so arranging it 

 that these folds are kept wet all the time by wa- 

 ter dripping from another vessel, on the principle 

 of evaporation. — Hall's Journal of Health. 



