54 
Action and Practical Application of Bones 
the contrary. Practice under such circumstances must stumble on 
in the dark ; its course, therefore, cannot be uniform : but even 
should it be correct in any one particular — should Chance cause 
any one to 
" stumble on the plan 
Eyes philosophic failed to scan " — 
with no other reason to urge in its favour but our own absolute 
dictum, or individual practice, it cannot be considered worthy of 
acceptation or become generally adopted. The experience of past 
years illustrates this. Thus, although bones have now been used 
generally for many years, we can scarcely meet with two farmers 
who are agreed on each particular connected with their use, or 
who adopt a similar practice, as regards either the sort, quantity, 
or condition of the bones. Still more seldom do we find any who 
can give a reason for the preference which they may have. In 
fact, common practice varies essentially in different localities on 
these and other points connected with their use as manure. An- 
other reason for further experimental inquiry on the subject has 
lately arisen. Thus, acting on the knowledge that the earthy 
constituents of bones are found in the structure of the turnip, and 
on the theory already adverted to — that they are highly essential 
to its vigorous growth — it has been suggested, that if they were 
dissolved in weak acid, the particles of the bone would be in a 
stale more accessible to the roots of the plant ; and that, as the 
whole quantity of these substances required during an ordinary 
course of cropping are contained in less than two bushels of 
bones, the vegetable would be able to obtain all the food of this 
description that it required from a much less quantity of bones 
than is now used. The facts which we have already urged in 
support of the opinion that fresh bones yield their phosphates 
more slowly than those which contain no animal matter, owing to 
the preservative effect which the latter has upon the structure of 
the borle, render this suggestion still more worthy of attention, as 
— setting aside the saving in quantity already noticed — it promises 
us a means of counteracting this tendency without destroying the 
animal manure in the bone by the action of fire. The action, 
too, of an acid is a much more effective means of causing a dis- 
integration of the bone than either fire or any mechanical agency 
— both of which have been proved to promote the action of the 
manure upon the first crop : and this, be it observed, is all that 
we need look for from a hand-tillage which produces a green 
crop, as that crop itself makes manure for the ensuing grain-crop ; 
and if this be not sufficient, we had better have the money in the 
pocket to buy more hand-tillage with, at the time when it is 
wanted, than j)ut more with the former green crop than that crop 
actually required. 
