BONES, DISSOLVED, a manure prepared by acting upon bone-dust by sulphuric acid of specific gravity 1600. About 15 cwt. of sulphuric acid (of specific gravity 1600) is added to every ton of bone-dust in a mixing vessel, where the whole can be thoroughly incorporated together. The resulting mass is allowed to lie in a heap for several months, during which time it dries up, and when sent into market, is a (lark-colored, coarse, soft powder. The original bone-dust contains a large percentage of insoluble or tribasic phosphate of lime (CaO,CaO, Ca°, PO.); and two equivalents of sulphuric acid (110,S0.) acting thereon, abstract two of the atoms of lime, and form two equivalents of sulphate of lime and one atom of the acid phosphate of lime (110,1I0, CaO,P00, which are soluble in water. As the gelatine of the B. hinders the sulphuric acid from acting fully on the earthy matter, it is customary to use a good proportion of bone-ash along with the bone-dust, and the absence of gelatine in the former admitsof the acid doing its properwork. Very often, bone- ash is alone used in the preparation of
dissolved B.. and then the manufactured material, containing no gelatine or animal matter, receives the name of superphoApb ate of lime, or simply, en perplimpli ate. In place of bone-ash, much bony matter or phosphate of lime, in the form of Apatite (q.v.) and Coprolites (q.v.), is now employed in part in the manufacture of some varieti:s of dissolved bones. The present value of dissolved B. ranges from .-C6 to £8 per ton, according to quality; and they contain from 20 to 35 per cent of soluble phosphate of lime, and 15 to 3 per cent of undissolved or insoluble phosphates. Thismaterial is very largely employed as a manure in Britain, and is iminently suitable for the cultivation of the root-crops, such as turnips; mangel-wurzel, etc.; and, associated with 12 to 20 per cent of sulphate of ammonia (q.v.), or nitrate of soda, it rivals Peruvian guano in its fertilizing effects on hind where cereals—wheat, barley, oats, etc.—are growing.