PREPARATION  OF  BONES  FOR  USE. 
463 
After  it  has  been  employed  with  defecated  sugar,  it  assumes 
a  color  almost  black,  contracts  and  readily  separates  from  the 
liquid.  When  it  has  been  kept  on  hand,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  wash  it  in  warm  water, — after  having  exposed  it  for  some 
time  to  the  air,  so  as  to  give  the  organic  substances  that  it  has 
entrapped  time  to  be  destroyed, — in  order  that  the  deoxidized 
portion  may  regain  oxygen  from  the  air  in  the  place  of  that 
which  it  has  lost.  Its  employment,  as  appears,  is  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time, — and  expense  of  a  very  insignificant 
character  is  required  for  its  revivification.  The  happy  property 
of  indeterminate  regeneration  removes  all  questions  as  regards 
the  amount  employed. 
I  would  add  that  heretofore  its  price  has  been  much  less  than 
that  of  animal  black,  it  can  be  obtained  from  5  to  6  francs 
for  100  kilogr.,  and  the  price  will  undoubtedly  be  reduced  in  the 
future. 
It  will  be  understood  that  nothing  is  herewith  proposed,  based 
on  means  more  or  less  empirical,  nor  upon  the  action  of  ma- 
chines more  or  less  ingenious,  whose  efi'ects  are  subordinated  to 
variable  conditions  or  changes  ;  it  rests  on  determinate  chemical 
relations,  so  precise  that  they  furnish  the  explanation  at  the 
same  time  that  they  give  certainty.  Sulphate  of  lime  and 
sesquioxide  of  iron  will  remove  foreign  substances  from  sugar, 
and  are  inferior  to  no  other  substances  in  this  respect. — Cosmos, 
from  Journ.  and  Trans.  Md.  Coll,  Pharm.  June,  1861. 
L.  H.  s. 
PREPARATION  OF  BONES  FOR  USE. 
The  best  and  cheapest  method  of  preparing  bones  for  manure 
is,  first,  to  boil  them  in  strong  ley  a  few  hours,  to  extract  from 
them  the  animal  matter,  or  what  would  be  more  convenient, 
perhaps,  break  them  as  fine  as  convenient,  and  put  them  in  a 
tub  of  ley  to  remain  there  during  pleasure,  until  the  animal 
matter  is  all  extracted  and  incorporated  with  the  ley.  The 
mineral  part  of  the  bones  will  now  be  found  very  friable  and 
easily  pulverized.  They  should  be  rinsed  clean,  pulverized,  and 
put  into  another  tub  or  trough.  Apply  to  them  some  diluted 
sulphuric  acid,  in  the  proportion  of  one  of  acid  to  five  of  water. 
