mixed up with dry fish pomace, and form a 
very perfect and excellent fertilizer for all 
kinds of crops. 
UTILIZING BONES. 
Du. Nichols gives the following interest- va 
ing information, based ou actual experi- Fc 
ment, in the Journal of Chemistry. It is ac 
so specific and detailed, we print it : If a re 
farmer has collected a pile of bones which mi 
he desires to fit for plant food, he can ac¬ 
complish the end in two or three different wc 
ways: 1st, by dissolving them in sulphuric co 
acid In the raw condition; 2d, by dissolving lyi 
after burning to whiteness; 3d, by dissolv- br 
ing them in connection with caustic lye th 
from ashes and soda. wi 
Bones cannot be dissolved in acid econom- wi 
ically, unless they are reduced to a flue pt 
powder. Pounding them into small frag- of 
meats will uot do, as but a part of the bone ei 
substance can be acted upon by the acid Tl 
when fragments are submitted to its action, m 
An insoluble coating of sulphate of lime hi 
forms around each fragment after the first in 
action of the acid, and this arrests further sa 
decomposition. As a matter of experi- In 
ment, we have submitted powdered bones a 
to the action of strong and dilute acid, for tl 
six months, and the Holuliou at the end of w 
that time was far from being complete. is 
Raw bones are very difficult to grind in t< 
any mill accessible to farmers, and there- c< 
fore it will ho best, if it is desired to make ei 
*» superphosphate," to construct a kiln of tl 
stones, throw into it the bones, along with a 
sufficient wood to kindle them; and, by ig- a 
siting the wood, the bones will readily take s< 
lire and burn to whiteness. lu this state a 
they are brittle, aud can bo ground in a P 
bark, plaster or grist-mill. The organic P 
matter, or the gelatine, is destroyed in this n 
process, and the bones lose about twenty- f 
seven per cent, in weight. 
To convert the bone ash into superphos- I 
phate, procure two or three good sound mo- t 
lasses casks, divide them in the middle with 11 
a saw, and into each half put two hundred l 
pounds of the powder moistened with a 
couple of buckets of water. A common hoe * 
may be used to turn over and mix the pow- i 
dor and water, and also it may be used to * 
stir up the mass after the acid is added. Oil ’ 
of vitriol or sulphuric acid should be pur- 1 
chased In carboys, and the common commer- 1 
cial strength is .mitable, that, of specific ■ 
gravity, 1.70, or 140' Twaddell. A stone ( 
pitcher holding a gallon is a suitable vessel 1 
in which to receive and measure the acid; 1 
aud in turning it out of the carboy, do not 
bo nervous or act in a hurry. Turn it out 
gently, aud be careful that it docs not spat¬ 
ter upou the face or clothing* I'lace the 
carboy upon a low box, remove the stopper, 
and, tipping the vessel, allow a small, 
smooth stream to fall into the pitcher. 
The two hundred pounds of bone powder 
will require tho entire contents of the car¬ 
boy of acid; in fact, a little more is needed 
to produce perfect decomposition. A car¬ 
boy holds about one hundred and fifty 
pounds, aud one hundred and seventy-five 
will be appropriated by the bone if the ac¬ 
tion is perfect and entire. The contents of 
a carboy, however, have answered in our 
experience. The acid must be added grad¬ 
ually, one gallon at a time, stirring with a 
hoe, and waiting for tho effervesence to sub¬ 
side before more is added. In a few hours 
the action will be over, and a liquid resem¬ 
bling water will be seen floating upon the 
top of the powder. This liquid is excessively 
sour, being free phosphoric acid, holding a 
little soluble lime in combination. Many 
who have tasted of this liquid have sup¬ 
posed that it was uncombined oil of vitriol, 
aud fearing that it would burn up tho crops, 
have been afraid to use the mixture. 
To dry this pasty mass so that it can be 
pulverized, is the most troublesome and 
protracted part of the labor. Superphos¬ 
phate should be made by the farmer in the 
Bummer after hoeing, when the weather is 
warm. He should provide twenty or thirty 
rough, shallow boxes, in which the moist 
mass can bo placed aud put in tho sun to 
dry. They can be taken under cover in wet 
weather. Before drying, a barrel of sifted 
loam should bo mixed with the bone paste, 
aud thoroughly worked into it. This greatly 
facilitates tho drying process. When the 
mass is dry it can be pounded fine with a 
mallet, or it can be ground in any kind of a 
mill. The powder thUB manufactured is 
most excellent, aud when further diluted 
with two more barrels of dry soil or loam, 
is equal to the best superphosphate found 
in the market. A handful put in each hill 
of corn or potatoes at time of planting will 
give fine results. This superphosphate must 
uot be mixed with lime or ashes, as from 
their action it will undergo decomposition, 
A and new salts will be formed. It may bo 
The manipulation descriDeu aoov e is 
adapted to the preparation of superphos¬ 
phate from ground raw bones. The only 
variation is in the amount of acid needed. 
For raw bone, powder, only half as much 
acid should be used, or six gallons for a bar¬ 
rel of bouo dust. The processes for its 
manufacture are the same. 
Bones may be dissolved in moistened 
wood ashes, if care is taken to bring them 
completely under the action of the caustic 
lyt?. To accomplish this, it Is necessary to 
break the bones into fragments aud pack 
them in a tight, shallow box with mi equal 
weight of good, sound wood ashes. Mix 
with the ashes, before packing, twenty-live 
pounds .of slaked lime aud twelve pounds 
of powdered sal soda (carbonate of soda) to 
every one hundred pounds of the ashes. 
The box iu which to conduct that process 
may be made of rough boards, but it. must 
be tight, and it should not be over eighteen 
inches deop. It may ho as broad as neces¬ 
sary. The bones should be packed m layers; 
first upon the bottom a layer of ashes, then 
a layer of bones, and so alternately until 
the box is filled. About twenty gallons of 
water must bo poured upon the heap (that 
is, for every one hundred pounds of bones) 
to saturate tho mass, but more may be add¬ 
ed from time to time to maintain perman¬ 
ent moisture. In three, four, or six weeks, 
the bones will be broken dowu completely, 
and the whole may be beaten up together, 
after adding an equal bulk of good sifted 
soil. This compost, is of the highest efficacy, 
as it embraces all the great essentials of 
plant food, namely, potash, soda, lime, 
phosphoric acid, and the nitrogenous ele¬ 
ment. This is a very convenient way for 
farmers who have ashes to dispose of their 
store of bones. If plenty of ashes can bo 
procured, it will facilitate the decomposi¬ 
tion of the bones to employ twice as much 
ashes as there are bones; tho solntion will 
be effected sooner, and more perfectly. 
If powdered bones are employed, a bar¬ 
rel of the powder may be mixed with a bar¬ 
rel of good ashes, and tho whole tuvnod 
into tho half of a molasses cask, moistened 
with two bucketfuls of water, and stirred 
up well with a hoe. In a week this will be 
ready for use, and it forms a most efficient 
and convenient fertilizer for all the cereal 
i crops. We t hink it does more (or oorn, in 
giving plump, full kernels, than any con¬ 
centrated fertilizer we have employed. A 
' handful is enough for a hill, put in at time 
of planting. Before dropping the seed, a 
. little earth should be kicked over tho 
, powder, so that it may uot come in direct 
contact with it. 
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
Horticulture and Vegetation Letter from 
Ceo. Ellwanger. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Draining a Blue Clay.—There arc two 
good ways of doing this. If tho subsoil is 
uniformly blue clay, aud the area to be 
drained large, tho most economical way of 
draining it is by the use of a mole-ditolier, 
such aa have been extensively used In Ohio 
and Illinois. If you have abundance of 
stone, a well laid stone drain, in a bluo clay 
soil, will last a life-time nearly, if it is laid 
three to four feet deep, as it should bo. The 
costliest and best drain Is a tile drain. 
This, in answer to E. B. E., who, if he has 
much draining to do, will do well to read 
French’s Farm Drainage, price $1.50. 
Leachy Land.— Whether sandy land 
leaches or uot, depends upon the purity of 
the laud. Pure white lake sand will allow 
water to pass through it without filtering it. 
But if charcoal, or muck, or loam is added 
to the sandhi sufficient quantity, any liquid 
manure passing through will lose its color. 
Sow clover on sandy laud, and plow the 
first growth iu, and the sand is supplied 
with a substance which absorbs fertilizing 
materials suspended in water, or liquid 
manure. Clover supplies carbon to the soil 
as well as nitrogen. 
To Kill 44 Live-Forever.” —W. W., 
Yorktmvn, N. Y., asks if he can “kill a 
patch of 4 Live - Forever ’ by covering it 
thickly with straw, or is there some easier 
method?” Yes, you can kill it if you put 
on straw enough t.o prevent growth, and if 
you’ve the straw, that is, perhaps, the 
easiest method. 
Coal Ashes will not, we think, prevent 
worms working ou gooseberry bushes. But 
the ashes will not harm the bushes, es¬ 
pecially if the soil is a stiff clay, provided 
they are well mixed with it. 
Killing Couch Grass.—C. L. B„ says 
he has known couch grass destroyed by pas¬ 
turing it with sheep three or four years. 
Dear Rural: —I have beeu sojourning *° 
in this beautiful city of the South for tho t 0 
past month, and presume a few horticultu- , 
ral items from this region will be accepta¬ 
ble to your readers. Tho wide streets, 0 
shaded witl) uoble trees, first attract tho vo 
stranger’s attention. The projectors of Co- ! n 
lumbia must have been men of taste and 
liberality. The streets are 100 feet wide, — 
and originally had a triple row of trees, 
mostly Oaks, with some Elms, which are 
now full-grown. The center row in many 
of the streets was destroyed during the 
war. I have never seen in any city trees so 
uniform in size and beauty. 
About 1,400 houses were burned during K 
the war, and notwithstanding this extensive . r 
destruction many fine residences and gar- ^ 
deus still remain. The wealthiest citizens rr 
occupied a square of four acres; others 
from one to two acres, giving plenty of gv 
room for gardens. ^ 
The streets are clean and dry, even after ^ 
a heavy rain, followed by an hour of sun- 
shine. The climate, during tho spring Cl 
months, is delightful, and, 1 think, prefera- tl] 
bio to tliut of Florida, it being drier, with a w 
clear sky and pure atmosphere. ti 
A great consideration iu favor of this ai 
place. In addition to its pleasant climate, is u 
its easy access from New York. 13 
The soil is generally sandy, with often a tl 
mixture of clay and sand, and is well- ti 
adapted to all kinds of fruit trees, partiou- f< 
larly peaches aud pears; but with the ex¬ 
ception of a few trees in private gardens, ; 
no attention is paid to fruit culture. t. 
All the apples in market come from tho v 
North, mostly Baldwins; price per barrel, 1 
£1 to $5. Summer apples could be grown t. 
here, and Winter apples in the northern t 
part of the State. Where apples succeed t 
well, 1 have no doubt that an apple orchard l 
of ten acres might be made more profitable f 
than a cotton plantation of one hundred, or t 
even two hundred acres, with tho present t 
material and price of labor. t 
Thq fanning-lauds here are worn out < 
witf'tfcconstant cropping of cotton, and the 
long continued use of Phosphates seems to I 
be as detrimental to the land as unsuitable i 
food to a dyspeptic stomach. People here i 
' do not seem to know the value of stable i 
1 manure aud compost; and vegetable mat- 
' ter which oould easily be obtained from the i 
woods, is seldom or never used. Clover in 
mai iy places could be gro wn ad vantageimsly. 
Oats and rye can be grown all over the 
State for green crops, and plowed under for 
enriching the soil at less coat and with bot- 
' tor results than with the use of special 
f manures. 
John A. Crawford, Esq., one of the 
] leading bankers before tho war, although 
( over 75 years of age, is as devoted to his 
Y garden of plants as ever, aud his largo plaut 
I houses still contain some interesting speci- 
o mens. He lost nearly everything by the 
_ war, except his home, good name, and taste 
a for horticulture. 
1 The following, in his garden, I thinic are 
worthy of note—viz. Gardenia Florida , 
7 ft. high, and Vt ft. wide at base; Tree Box, 
d 18 ft. higb, 0 ft. at base; Fuouy1tW8 japon- 
>f levs, 15 ft. high, 0 ft. at base; Magnolia 
* v purpnrtot, in full bloom, 1C ft. high; also 
t. M, Snidaugcana, about the same size; Eng- 
d r 13 h Laurel, 30 ft. high; Fetmpornm , about 
d K) ft. high, and as broad; a White Uanksia 
r. Koao covers oue side of a large, three-story 
ie house. In his front garden are some very 
><1 old pear trees, mostly Dutchess, producing 
fine largo fruits annually. 
Tim 14 Wade Hampton Place,” now owned 
ll * by Gem Preston, before the war was rich 
in plants aud trees. The Conservatory and 
Vinery were destroyed, and the once fa- 
” moua garden has been neglected. Tho gar- 
den (four acres, iu a square) is enclosed with 
1 . a brick wall 10 feet high, Among some line 
e 1 specimens are the following—viz. i—CcdniH 
ut f Feodora, 40 ft. high, and branches at the 
,r base 30 ft. broad; Llbroccdrax decwrrvn 8, 
Uu about 40 ft. high; Camellia (single), 10 ft. 
high, aud about aa broad at the base—thia 
, plaut stands the winter well here; Plnus 
ut excelsa, 30 ft. high, richer and more silvery 
in color than at the North. 
e d Mrs. Lyons’ garden also contains some 
interesting specimens of the above. One 
noble Magnolia grandtflora. Among a 
iys collection of pear trees here, I noticed one 
as- in bloom with full-grown foliage, three 
weeks before any of the other varieties 
showed any sign of new growth. The owner 
of the place being absent, I obtained no in¬ 
formation in regard to it. 
Early flowering shrubs have been iu bloom 
over three weeks, yet the season is nearly a 
month later than usual. Roses flourish ex¬ 
ceedingly well here, and often grow to a 
very large size. A yellow Banksie Roso 
now coming into bloom in the garden of 
Col. Childs, covers about 50 square feet of 
his house. 
The weather is charming, and has been 
for the past month, and with sufficient rain, 
vegetation is now coming forward very ra¬ 
pidly. O. E. 
Columbia, 8. C., April 3, 1873. 
©he glptran. 
TRANSFERRING BEES. 
At the meeting of the Northeastern Bee 
Keepers’ Association “the best method of 
transferring combs from box hives to mov¬ 
able comb hives” was discussed. Captain 
IIet aE kington said he had had much ex¬ 
perience iu this. The hive that contains tho 
swarm to be transferred is inverted, and a 
box nearly the size of the hive is placed over 
it. The bees are then driven from the hive 
to tho box. After the edges of the comb are 
cut loose from tho hive, the sides of the hive 
are split into small pieces and removed, 
which leaves the comb standing on the hive- 
top. The oomb is then fitted into tho frames 
aud held iu place by thorus of tho red haw 
until such time as the bees shall fasten them. 
He transferred the swarms at all seasons of 
tho year. Mr. Hetukrinqton said he had 
tried two or three other methods, but ho 
found this one tho most successful. 
Mr. Quinby had adopted another method, 
llo took the hivo to be transferred iu t he lat¬ 
ter part of April, anil placed it In a room 
with all tho windows darkened save one. 
When the bees are driven out, they explore 
the room as if it wore a new country, and 
then the process is as before. Instead of 
thorns, ho had used wooden sticks, but tho 
bees endeavor to oat them away. In trans¬ 
ferring the comb, the drone comb should bo 
thrown away. It had been recently settled 
that an egg laid in a drone cell would pro¬ 
duce a drone; that the same egg in a worker 
cell would produce a worker. 
Mr. Sisson said that he had known drones 
to come from worker cells. He had experi¬ 
mented upon the matter. He thought that 
it, was a parr, of tho bee nature that made 
drones a uocceBsity in the hive. Capt. IIetii- 
kriNGTON had something to explain in re¬ 
gard to that circumstance. Queens grad¬ 
ually become barren. Ho had kept track of 
oue for five years. He observed that she was 
laying fewer and fewer eggs, and many of 
them became drones. 
Mr. Sisson said the result of this experi¬ 
ment was not tho rule but an exception. 
The rule might generally hold good. Ho 
came back to the subjeot under discussion 
with an explanation of his manner of trans¬ 
ferring. His frame was without a bottom 
piece, and without braces. The honey was 
retained in place by a block of wood placed 
in the middle of tho frame, and suspended 
i from the top, and tho sides of tho frame were 
narrower thau the comb, so that the latter 
. was built around it. When the frame was 
removed from the hive he rested it in a box 
[ similar to the hive. 
Mr. Clarkf. advised every one to abstain 
i. from transfer near or at evening time. The 
> bees are then stupid and difficult to manage. 
- Tho best time to transfer is betweeu break- 
t fast and afternoon ou a warm day. 
y BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Howto Get Rid of Fertile Workers. 
—Mr. Cox says“ You cau always tell tho 
proHcuee of fertile workers by tho irregu¬ 
larity with whioh they lay their eggs, plac¬ 
ing them any place in the comb, instead of 
near the center, as the queen does. Recom¬ 
mends taking out the frames, shaking off 
boos into the old hive, putting these frames 
then into a new hive, and setting this new 
hive in the placo of the old one. Take old 
hive away.” _ 
Overstocking the Country with Bees. 
—At tlio Iowa Bee-Keepers’ Convention this 
matter was discussed. The possibility of 
overstocking was considered; but Mrs Tup- 
fkk was not afraid to try 1,000 swarms per 
square mile. 
The Red Ant and Bees.—Dr. Overman 
destroys the aut by sprinkling a solution of 
oarbollo acid and water on their nests. Mr. 
Cox drives them away with tansy. Ashes 
aud oil were also recommended. 
MOOBE’S R 
m 
7i 
