98 THE CULTIVATOR. March, 
then, probably, continue to furnish food for the 
plant, until the bone finally crumbles quite away. 
The first effect is doubtless owing in a great degree 
to the cartilage, as that is most soluble. 
Having thus settled the question as to the value of 
bones, we proceed to consider the various modes of 
applying them to the soil, with reference to their ef¬ 
fect upon crops. The old plan was to plow in the 
bones whole; applied in this way, their action was 
not so immediate as lasting: the whole bone decom¬ 
poses very slowly in the soil, and may be taken up 
after lying buried many years, scarcely changed as 
to its external form; it will be found, however, if it 
has lain near the surface, that the color has altered, 
that it has become light, honey-combed and brittle. 
A chemical examination will show that it has been 
slowly dissolving, and yielding its various constitu¬ 
ents to supply the wants of plants. The roots of 
any plant which can reach such a bone, will twine 
around it, insert themselves into its cavities, and 
show in every way, how eager they are for the food 
which it affords them. The decomposition of whole 
bones being so gradual, and it being difficult to dis¬ 
tribute them equally so that all of the plants might 
feel their influence, it was necessary to apply large 
quantities; from 70 to 100 bushels accordingly, 
were not an uncommon dressing for an acre. 
At this rate, all of the bones available to the 
farmer, would not go far toward manuring his land, 
and it became desirable to devise some more econo¬ 
mical method of application. This was found in 
crushed or ground bones. They are now in Great 
Britain, used in various stages of fineness; inch, 
half inch and dust, are three of the more common 
descriptions. Bone dust is the most active and the 
most speedy in its effects, so that a smaller quantity 
than that of the other kinds will produce an equal 
benefit to the crop. Being so fine, it decomposes 
more readily, and is therefore not as lasting. 
There is, nevertheless, better economy in its use, 
for it lasts a long time, even in a minute state of di¬ 
vision ; 8 or 10 bushels doing more good than 70 or 
80 bushels of whole bones. Being powdered, the 
dust can be sown evenly over the surface, either by 
hand or machine, or can bo deposited in drills. A 
small quantity thus put on at short intervals, keeps 
the land constantly well supplied with as little 
waste as possible; it is also, by this system, always 
retained near the surface, and within the reach of 
roots. 
If the dust or crushed bones be heaped up ten 
days or a fortnight before required for use, and co¬ 
vered with earth, a heating and fermentation takes 
place which prepares for a more speedy decomposi¬ 
tion, and consequent fertilizing action in the soil. It 
is also found a very good practice to mix with fer¬ 
menting yard manure when it is intended to apply 
bone dust broadcast and plow it in. 
From the mention which has been made of nitro¬ 
gen and of phosphates in the grain of our crops, it 
might bo inferred that this manure is especially 
adapted to the increase of that part, and experience 
in England has amply proved this to be the fact. 
There are now several mills where bones are 
ground in the neighborhood of Meriden and Middle- 
town, Ct. I have been informed during the past 
season, that ten bushels of bone dust from these 
mills, per acre, brings up much of the worn-out land 
in that vicinity at once, enabling it to bear as 
much Indian corn as when it was first broken up 
from the virgin forest. I have no reason to doubt 
this report, as it only agrees with the results ob¬ 
tained in numberless cases abroad. 
There is yet another and most important method 
of applying bones, a notice of which must be de¬ 
ferred till my next communication. John P. Nor¬ 
ton. 
Of Flows and Plowing. 
Editors of the Cultivator —In the course of 
travel last summer in Massachusetts, I met with 
Mr. Nourse, of the firm of Ruggles, Nourse Sc 
Mason, plow-makers of world-wide celebrity. Wo- 
had a conversation about some improvements in the 
construction of the Plow, which are important in 
order to arriving at some results in plowing, as yet 
unattained, in the most desirable manner. We had 
not time then to talk up the matter so fully as to set¬ 
tle upon the exact form of castings for our purpose, 
and agreed upon another meeting in the winter, at 
a time when both of us might be more at leisure. I 
accordingly called upon Mr. Nourse, a short time 
since, at his warehouse in Boston, and accompanied 
him from thence to the Plow Manufactory at Wor¬ 
cester, where, with the other gentlemen of the firm, 
our subject was fully disoussed. 
It was agreed, on all hands, that while the green¬ 
sward plow has been carried to so high perfection 
of form as to do its appropriate work with great 
precision, neatness, and ease of draught, a plow 
suitable for turning stubble or fallow-cropped land, 
has been very much overlooked. It has never yet 
occurred to me by what principles of construction 
the two implements can be combined in one; for 
sod and stubble plowing are two distinct operations, 
involving quite different mechanical principles. 
The green-sward plow should enter the soil by a 
long and very gradually rising point, the wing or cut¬ 
ting share of which, should slowly widen, attaining 
its full breadth far in the rear; the mould board should 
lift the furrow-slice by an easy progression, quietly 
and smoothly laying it over in an inverted position;, 
and the course of the plow through the ground should 
be so generally easy, natural and steady, as to re¬ 
quire but little help from the plowman, and the least 
practicable draught upon the team. 
The stubble plow should enter the ground more ab¬ 
ruptly ; and, by a generally shorter construction, and 
greater width of heel in proportion to length of 
mould-board, lift, and forcibly throw its loose fur¬ 
row-slice over into the proper place, leaving a clear 
channel behind it. Ease of draught cannot be stu¬ 
died so closely here as in the green-sward plow, ex¬ 
cept at the expense of good work. The beam, and 
the standard of the castings, where the two connect, 
should be several inches higher than in any plow I 
have ever seen, in order to prevent clogging. I have 
followed the plow many a day in rank stubble, and 
in turning under partly fermented manure in moist 
land, with a crotched stick in my left hand, poking 
away with all my might, to keep the stubble or lit¬ 
ter from gathering into a heap under the beam, and 
thus producing a baulk, or a shallow imperfect fur¬ 
row. Last spring I determined to attempt an im¬ 
provement in this particular. I got the standard 
of my stubble plow lengthened, and had a very high 
arching beam put in, which gave a space of eigh¬ 
teen inches between the sole of the castings and the 
bottom of the beam,—and that cured it of clogging. 
The mould-board of my plow, however, is not of 
proper form to turn stubble as it should be done. 
If a stubble-plow of the right construction were 
put into sod-ground, it would lift the turf quite 
abruptly, and lay it over in a broken, uneven man¬ 
ner. So when a green-sward plow, of appproved 
form, is put into loose, cultivated ground, we find that 
it lifts the soil to its highest or perpendicular point ,. 
