Q28 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
even this is impracticable in most cases. We do 
not ’know of twenty bone-mills in the country. 
Some get bones pulverized in a mill used far 
grinding tanner’s bark. One of these is better 
than no mill, but does not grind finely enough. 
DISSOLVING BONES IN ACID. 
A very good fertilizer may be prepared by dis¬ 
solving bones in sulphuric acid, commonly called 
“ oil of vitriol.” It is a cheap liquid, nearly twice 
as heavy as water, and costing, by wholesale, at 
the manufacturers, about two cents per pound 
for a good article. At a distance the price is 
higher, proportioned to the expense of transpor¬ 
tation. It is put up in large glass bottles, called 
carboys , each holding from 120 to 160 pounds. 
The carboys are covered with boxes or basket work 
to protect them, and oost from $1 to $1 50. 
Sulphuric acid is a very caustic burning fluid, 
which will destroy the flesh or clothing wherever 
a drop touches^ On this acoount great care is 
necessary in handling it. We knew of one severe 
accident from setting down the carboy too sudden¬ 
ly after pouring out—a portion of the liquid flew 
up into the operator’s face. There need be no 
difficulty with proper care. We have used very 
many tuns of it for sundry purposes, and have 
never suffered in the least. If by chance any 
should fly upon the skin or clothing, an immediate 
application of water should be made. Ammonia 
(“hartshorn”) applied afterwards, will generally 
restore colors changed by it. Old garments 
should be worn in operating with it. 
To dissolve bones in sulphuric acid, choese 
any tight barrel or cask,—an old meat barrel will 
do, wooden hoops are best—and put into it, by 
measure, two to three times as much water as 
you have acid to be used. Into the water in the 
barrel pour the acid slowly. If all be put in too 
quickly a great heat will be the result. The 
bones, broken or unbroken, can now be packed 
into this liquid until they rise some distance above 
it. Cover the barrel closely with a board, or 
wooden cover. The contents should be stirred 
with a stick, and the bones pushed down from 
time to time. As they gradually disappear, more 
hones may be added, so as to keep the liquid filled 
with them. In the course of four to eight weeks 
the acid will cease to act. If the dissolving is 
required to be done more speedily, the bones 
should be broken into small pieces with a ham¬ 
mer, before adding them to the acid. Some per¬ 
sons have tried to dissolve bones, and become 
discourged because the operation was not com¬ 
pleted in a day. For large whole bones two 
months is often required for the complete solution, 
and it is better not to try to dissolve the whole. 
Keep the liquid filled with them, and the portions 
undissolved can be used in the next batch. 
To use the liquid, pour it off from the remain¬ 
ing bones and mix it with a large quantity of dried 
muck, or dry swamp mud, pulverized. Almost 
any kind of earth, except sand, will answer to dry 
the liquid with, and sand might be used. The 
more dark colored vegetable matter it contains 
the better. A cart load of earth to a bushel of 
bones, dissolved, will be better than a smaller 
quantity, though one-fourth of this amount may 
be used. Mix the mass thoroughly together and 
work it fine with a shovel, hoe and rake. This 
may be done on a floor, or on a hard ground sur¬ 
face. When finished, pack aw'ay into barrels or 
boxes to be used weeks or months afterwards. 
We know of no better manure than a material 
prepared in this way. It is better and cheaper 
than any fertilizer you can buy, not even except¬ 
ing Peruvian guano. It can be applied in the hill 
or drill, with all kinds of seed, and will speak for 
itself. If the dissolving process be continued un¬ 
til the acid is all used up, and plenty of earth be 
thoroughly mixed in, there is not the slightest 
danger of its injuring seed or tender roots, though 
placed in direct contact with them. 
WIRE FENCING. 
INFORMATION CALLED FOR. 
From considerable observation, we long since 
lost faith in the adaptability of win or general 
fencing, if put up in the modes formerly recom¬ 
mended. But during the past Summer, w T e saw 
a number of wire fences in different parts of Illi¬ 
nois and Iowa, constructed on improved plans, 
which gave strong promise of being permanently 
useful, and we are not sure but this kind of fence 
will yet prove to be the cheapest and most effect¬ 
ual,- particularly in prairie regions. The kind 
which appeared the most feasible is that in which 
the wires are kept in due tension, Summer and 
Winter, by a weight applied to a lever, the lever 
being attached to a kind of drum around which 
the wire is wound. 
We commenced preparing an article on this 
topic, with illustrations of the mode of tightening 
the wires, &c., but have concluded to defer the 
matter a month or two, in order to solicit special 
information from those who have tried this plan 
and ethers, as well as those who have witnessed 
trials in their own neighborhoods. In order to call 
out replies, we propose the following questions, 
which we respectfully request our readers to an¬ 
swer at as early a day as possible. We do not 
solicit letters prepared for publication, but simply 
replies from which we can collate an article of 
general interest. 
1. What has been your experience or^observation in wire 
fencing’ 
2. How large wire (what number) do you consider ne¬ 
cessary to make a substantial fence, against cattle 
and other animals ? 
3. Would you use the same size of wire for the top and 
bottom strands ? 
4. How many wires would you recommend ? 
5. How near to each other would you place them in the 
upper and lower part of the fence ? 
6. How would you attach them to the posts ? 
7. What kind, and what size would you consider the best 
posts ? 
8. How near to each other would you place the posts ! 
9. Would you recommend a board or string-piece to be 
nailed along the tops of the posts ? 
10. How long would you extend the wires between the 
permanent fastening points ? 
11. What do you consider the best mode of keeping the 
wires uniformly stretched, in both cold and hot 
weather 1 
12. Have you tried the plan of setting two posts with a 
roller between them for tightening the wires by 
means of short sticks or levers? and if so, what is 
the result? 
13. Have you tried, or seen tried, the late mode of using 
short cast-iron drums, pointed at one end for inser¬ 
tion in the posts, and pierced at the head with two 
square cross holes or mortices, for the insertion of 
levers, to which weights are attached ? 
14 Will you please describe minutely (by drawing or 
otherwise) the form, size of each end, length, size 
of holes, &c., you consider best for Ihese iron 
drums, together with their cost, &c., delivered in 
your own neighborhood ? 
15. How large, and how long a lever, and what weight is 
required for a given length of wire, say forty or fifty 
rods ? 
16 How would you attach the weight, say a stone or 
block, &c., and how heavy should it be ? 
17. Tlease communicate any other information or sugges¬ 
tions on these topics that may occur to you. 
These questions are, some of them, quite sim¬ 
ple ones, we are aware, and we could readily 
answer each one according to our opinion, but. on 
a topic of such importance to so large a portion 
of the country, as is embraced in the vast prairie 
regions of the West, we prefer to get the opinion 
of a considerable number of practical men, even 
as to the minute details. In a multitude of coun¬ 
selors there is wisdom. As soon as we hear from 
a considerable number of correspondents, we 
will condense the pith of the whole for the benefit 
of our readers generally. 
LARD AND RESIN FOR TOOLS. 
“A penny saved is two-pence earned. 
Not less than $50,000 worth of valuable 
tools, belonging to the readers of the American 
Agriculturist, (less than .$2 each,) will be spoiled, 
or materially injured, simply by rusting between 
now and next Spring. The damage alone will be 
$50,000. Look at the plows, harrows, cultiva¬ 
tors, hoes, shovels, forks, chains, axes, saws, not 
to enumerate wagon irons, and a multitude of lit¬ 
tle tools that ought to be provided on or about any 
farm, and then reckon up how many of them will 
be left where the combined effect of air and mois¬ 
ture will attack their surfaces and eat away 
enough to render them rough at least, if not to 
materially depreciate their value. Many instru¬ 
ments are destroyed faster by lying idle than 
they would be by constant wear. We will not now 
write a homily upon the value and importance of 
a Tool-house, and of having every implement 
stored in it, but give a recipe for an exceedingly 
simple, cheap and effective preparation, one 
available to all, which will at least save all metals 
from loss by rust. 
Take about three pounds of lard and one pound 
of resin. Melt them together in a basin or ket¬ 
tle and rub over all iron or steel surfaces in dan¬ 
ger of being rusted. It can be put on with a 
brush or piece of cloth, and wherever it is applied 
it most effectually keeps air and moisture away, 
and of course prevents rust. When knives and 
forks, or other household articles, liable to be¬ 
come rusted or spotted, are to be laid away, rub 
them over with this mixture, and they will come 
out bright and clean even years afterwards. The 
coating may be so thin as not to be perceived, 
and it will still be effectual. Let every one keep 
a dish of this preparation on hand. As it does 
not spoil of itself it may be kept ready mixed^for 
months or years. Mem. Fresh lard, containing 
no salt, should be used. Resin is a cheap article, 
and may be obtained almost anywhere for four 
to six cents per pound. 
VEGETATION OF SEEDS. 
It is often a wonder to novices in gardening, 
that their flower-seeds do not vegetate. They 
take infinite pains, in digging, manuring, sowing, 
watering, and mulching, but after all, many 
of their seeds will not come up. They blame the 
seedsman and the season. In many oases, 
neither is to blame. The cause of the difficulty 
lies in the too early sowing of their seeds. 
There is a great difference in the habits of plants. 
The seeds of even some native plants do not start 
into growth at the first opening of Spring. And 
certainly, it would be strange if the seeds of trop¬ 
ical plants should do so. They need the warmth 
of the tropics to make them germinate. Now, 
mamy of our finest annual flowers are natives of 
South America, California, Africa and Australia, 
and ought we to be surprised because their seeds 
will not germinate in the comparatively cold 
weather of our Springs 1 Give them their native 
warm weather, whether in the hot-house, or frame, 
or parlor-window, or wait until the month of May 
or June brings it, then they will grow apace. 
It is easier to declaim against a thousand sins 
in others, than to mortify one in ourselves. 
We do not despise all those who have no vices, 
but those who have not one redeeming virtue. 
