Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-08-24
For the Enq'siicr
GUANO--fNo. LII

Amongst The most interesting results from the
use OF Guano, which have come 10 my know
ledge, are lhuse which have been Obtained in
Montgomery county, Maryland. in district OF
country OF which Sandy Spring may be regarded
as The central porion. What renders them the
more Interesting is that they are not isolated IN.
stances, but the aggregate fruits ot general
system OF culture pursued by large number VI
farmers. The character oil the soil is such as
10 show the value OF Guano in a Conspicuous
manner. II is, Tor The most part, cold, heavy and
ungraeiu poor by nature, and requiring The
most careful attention 10 prevent il from becom-
ing almost entirely unpfoductive. With popn-
lalon Of less energy and intelligence, it mast
long since have been abandoned for the fruitful
regions oi the West. II is now the abode OF
plenty and prosperity; and since the introduction
| OF Guano, property has advanced greatly be-
yond il. former value.
In citing Sandy Spring as exhibiting striking
instance Of improved fafming-all or nearly all
| oil which is due 10 The use OF Gnano-it is not
| my iGleliion 10 represent IL as Astounding II mo-
del farms, as good or better farming may be
seen In many favored localities. But comparing
| il now with what it was few years ago, il is
! difficult TO imagine greater contrast. An i'm.
pora1, tact, 100, is, that with the aid OF litIlc
capital in The commencement in some cases
borrowed the continued improvement has been
carried on solely from The increased products OF
| the Soil.
In visiting Sandy Spring few months ago. !
| learned iha, The members OF The Farmers Club
Of lha. place had kept regular account, since
| its institution, of the products Of their several
iarms-nol with any view 10 publication, hui
merely Tor their personal qualification, and 10 sa.
tisly themselves watcher they were making any
| advancement. The facts eices were Of 50 in
.eresng character that applied Tor copy CT
The paper, which has since, by authority OF the
! Club, been kindly placed in my possession. This
| explanation is due 10 The Cub, Leaf il might be
suppostd, without H. that they were anxious 10
obtain notoriety which, on The contrary, they
have been sludiously careful 10 shua.
The table referred 10 is as fullows-in present.
Ing which, ii is proper TO premise thai, in some
Instances, small quantity Of bone dust vas
| used as well as Guano.
| lSii-Average crop OIL each member:-WhcaI
! l02 bushels on 10 acres; or 10 bushels per acre
IS4i-Averagc crop Of each member: Corn
80 bushels on - acres; or "a bushels per acre
| 1915 Average crop OF each membcr:-Whea
I42 bushels on 10 acres; or Ia bushels per acre
l645-Average crop OF each member-Corr
245 bushels on IL acres; or 20 bushels per acre
| loz6-AyeIase crop oil each membeI:-Whea
l46 bushels on Is acres; or LII bushels per acre
L
294 bushels OH IA acres or 81 bushels per acre
| lS47-Ayeraee crop OF each member:-Wh ea
| 24j bushels on 10 acres; or Is bushels per acre
| l8i7-Ayerage crop OF each member:-Corn
! 800 bushels on IL acres; or % bushels per acre.
| lS43-Average crop oil each member:-Wheal
300 bushels on IL acres; or IL bushels per acre
| 1918 Average crop of each membeI:-Corn
| 500 bushels on Is acres; or 81 bushels per acre.
| While this table exhibits considerable aggre-
| gate improvement, there are yet some luc.na.
| lions. These are 10 be ascribed to the peculiar
character of the seasons-lSI5 being excessively
| dry aud unavorabee for corr; and 4G being
| equally untavorablc for wheat.
| An accoun, was also kept Of The product of hay
| and some oiner crops, such as oats, buckwheal
clover seed aud potatoes; but they were omitted
| in The copy OF The table which | received. am
| able, however, 10 slate from memory, what one
OF the members, (Prof. Hallow:ll OF Alexandria
who owns farm 10 the neiehborhood) informed
me OF the increased productiveness OF his mea
dows. When he purchased his farm only lev
years ago, he was only able 10 cut one wagon
| load oil hay he first season, which he said couit
no, have exceeded 1900 or 1900 pounds. Las
| year 1887 he moved sky tons Cl best limo
thy hay. He had used bone dus, 10 small guam
ties per acre on his meadows, 10 addition 10
| eulno.
| To another farmer, InOmas t. S'abler, reSiu-
| ing 10 rha, neighbJrhood, hut wac had not been
member OF the club, spoke OF the statements:
above cited; aid he remarked that his own expe
! renee Woud .uiy sustain them. On farm o.
some 200 acres ne said that until he began Ic
use Gualo NJ mad never raised more than one
hundred bushels OF wheat in any one year, mol
more tan one hundred barrels OF corn. Las
year The crop of wheat amounted 10 $50 bushels
| and the corn TO 800 barrels. His grass crop
WIRE augmented in similar proportion. Thrf,
might have been, AMI probably was, some add
lional breadth OF land Trough! ia.o cultivation
bu, il 50, il was only such portions as had no
been regarded for years as paying The cost OF cui
luIe. This gent!eman's opinion Of The value o
Guano is that he can we'll aito,d 10 use il as Ion;
as The cost is repaid by The first crop, leaving ID
benefit 10 thc grass as The clear profit.
The largest yield OF corn per acre that hear
of was III bushels, from an application CT I'D
pounds OF Gaano. Without The Gnano, the lab
would have produced from three 10 four barrels
according 10 the season. This, with variou
olhcl crops Of most luxuriart growth, includiD
The wheat crop Of las. year vi 4i4i bushel
from Is acres, was grown ON the farm oil Gale
S;aJIer, which was bough, lew years ago :
Two dollars and lea cents per acte-being part {
an extensive tract formerly completely exhauste
by The culture OF tobacco.
On another piece Of ground-il would be i'm
proper to say farm-calist with peculiar propr
ely Poverty Plains, en- experiment was mac
last year upon six acres, which had been lying
5 broom. sedge from time immemoria. A dres
ing Of $50 pounds OF GnaDo per acre was give