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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 30 November 1927, Page 8

The fertiliser industry got its start from a few men who ground up anima] hones and applied them to th, soil. To-day the amount of acid phosphate used is far in excess of thtamount of bone meal but, ground animal bones are still an important raw. material in the feitihser industry. A large supply of bones comes from abattoirs and butchers’ shops. 'These bones are steamed to remove grease, and are then ground and sold for fertilisers. Haw crushed bones contain from 3 to 4 per cent, nitrogen and from 18 to 24 per cent phosphoric acid. The availability n| the phosphorus acid is dependent on the fineness of grinding. A record production of nbosnhate from Nauru and Ocean Islands is in. dicated in the report ol the Director of Agriculture to Parliament. Deliveries to New Zealand in 1926-27 were 135,200 tens or over 57.000 tons of a nmcrease. improved loading arrangements at the islands have been installed and better shipping arrangements are mooted. Mixed with other low-grade phosphate the island production gives a very highgrade phosphatic fertiliser for New Zealand land