“Bread from Stones”, The Story
Dr. Julius Hensel was a 19th century German agricultural and physiological chemist and was one of the greatest figures in the history of agricultural chemistry. Hensel was the inventor of "stone meal", who first made his discovery of powdered rock fertilization when he was a miller.
One day, while milling grain, he noticed that some stones were mixed with it and [he] ground [them] into a meal. He sprinkled this stone meal over the soil of his garden and was surprised to note how the vegetables took on a new, more vigorous growth. This led him to repeat the experiment by grinding more stones and applying the stone meal to fruit trees. Much to his surprise, apple trees that formerly bore wormy, imperfect fruit now produced fine quality fruit free from worms. Also vegetables fertilized by stone meal were free from insect pests and diseases. It seemed to be a complete plant food, which produced fine vegetables even in the poorest soil.
Encouraged by these results, Hensel put his "Stone Meal" on the market, and wrote extensively on its superiority over chemical fertilizers, while at the same time opposing the use of animal manure, and the nitrogen theory on which it is based, claiming that when plants are supplied with Stone Meal, plenty of water, air and sunshine, they will grow health-fully even if the soil is poor in nitrogen, since it was his belief that plants derive their nitrogen through their leaves, and do not depend on the soil for this element.
The most important among the advantages of Hensel's agricultural discovery is that foods grown on mineralized soil are higher both in mineral and vitamin content and so produce better health and greater immunity to disease than those grown by the use of chemical fertilizers https://buildasoil.com/blogs/news/13029449-bread-from-stones-free-e-book-on-rock-dust-from-1894
Practical experience with Hensel's Stone Meal has proven the following:
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That Stone Meal creates healthier, tastier, more vitaminized and mineralized foods.
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That Stone Meal creates immunity to insect infestation, worms, fungi and plant diseases of all kinds.
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That Stone Meal improves the keeping and shipping quality of foods, so that they keep a long time, in contrast to the rapid deterioration of foods given abundant animal manure.
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That Stone Meal helps plants to resist drought and frost, enabling them to survive when those fed on manure and chemicals perish.
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That Stone Meal produces larger crops which are more profitable because the farmer is saved the expense of buying chemical fertilizers which are rapidly leached from the soil by rainfall, whereas Stone Meal, being less soluble, is gradually released during the course of years and remain in the soil, being the most economical of fertilizers.
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That foods raised with Stone Meal are better for human health and the prevention of disease than those grown with chemicals or animal manure.
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That use of Stone Meal, in place of chemical, helps to end the spraying menace (by removing its cause) is proven by the fact that plants and trees grown with Stone Meal are immune to pests and so require no spraying.
https://buildasoil.com/blogs/news/13029449-bread-from-stones-free-e-book-on-rock-dust-from-1894
Basalt composition and key benefits
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Key benefits of using Basalt Rock Dust are:
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Basalt weathers relatively quickly which means that it begins to release nutrients to plants as soon as the roots make contact.
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Basalt continues to deliver a steady flow of nutrients over time, even as it decomposes. The slow-release benefits of finely grinded volcanic basalt makes it an effective way to minimize deficiencies, especially with fast-growing crops experiencing periods of rapid nutrient uptake.
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Basalt also contains soluble silicon which contributes to make crops more resistant to pests and disease. Silicon strengthens stems, helping plants stand tall and capture more light to maximize photosynthesis, also to improve drought tolerance.
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By adding volcanic basalt to soil and potting mixes, you’ll see stronger root systems, healthier plants and increased yields, more nutritious fruits & veggies, & colorful blossoms.
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Adding rock dust to soil also increase soil moisture-holding capacity, improved cation exchange capacity, better soil structure and drainage.
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Rock dust also provides calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, plus other trace elements and micronutrients.