I haven't seen mention of an important factor involved in the bone salve mixture. In his book "Permaculture" Sepp talks about bone salve on pages 114-115, and 166-168. He says that to the bone salve made in the cast iron pots, he adds linseed oil, slaked lime, fine quartz sand, and fresh cow dung. These ingredients and made to a spreadable consistency.
He explains that the oil helps bind the ingredients of the salve together and makes sure the salve adheres to the bark. The slaked lime is beneficial to the trees because it emits heat. It also helps to combine the bone salve and other ingredients. The cow dung helps to bulk the salve out... and give the salve a good consistency. ...the quartz sand ..causes an unpleasant sensation between the teeth.
He observed a deer and fawn eat a couple of bites of the plant which was painted with the salve and says "...For the first couple of bites I see no reaction. Then in the next bite there must have been a drop of my salve. The result: all of a sudden the deer began to act a little crazy. It gagged, threw its head from side to side, ran forward wildly and tried all it might to wipe the taste from its mouth on the grass. The fawn reacted in the same way soon afterwards..."
