The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-11-22
WHOLE No So 8


as they should have been turned under.
even by Boston No. s Proughvploueh
and when done the mass of grass and
weeds was only half covered, which
caused the earth to Law so loose % to
prevent the wheat from taking root sui-~
fclently TO sustain itself. .H1sd here let
ne ask It 1t was not thas great grouh of
grass md weeds tint uas the elhoustsy.
and not the guano;or, charge the growth
OF grass and weeds to the guano, if you
please, shall be well satisfied if the 800
acres now Sown with wheat, shall suffer
/ Just such an exhaustion as that 100 acres
OF corn did, and the clover that is to
follow the wheat, as rank, and luxuri-
ant as the grass that followed that corn.
20 far rs my information extends,
which, | acknowledge, is but limited,
have never heard it contemplated bv ill.,.
warmes; advocate of guano that all the
|aads, or, indeed, the fertility of any of
the lands of these United States should
be kept up by the use of it alone. The
most that was claimed for it, was that it
was stimulus for the first crop, like
! plaster upon clover, only to a much
more extended degree. Its effect is
like applying the match TO light wood,
which, when once kindled nav easily
be kept up or raised to burning heat
BY applying the hard wood; so with tho
guano. When rightly applied on our
;h'n and almost exhausted soils, it acts
well; gives one good crop, of grain at
least and starts the clover; this prepare.
il to receive the lime, which, together
with the clover is the only sure basis Of
permanent improvement.
IT. charged that guano, like many
other good tn ngs, instead Of increasing
ia value, as it became known. has lost
much OF Its importance. am not the
champion, or advocate, of the too rxten.
ded ssr Of guano, for III. reason thatI
know | am out Of ocket now, 10 the
amount OF some thousands Of dollars, and
because believe it should be bought in
our ports at half the present rrice--.sy
Tor $2o per ton, instead Of %o5 per
thourand lbs. Still think, am safe
IN saying. that much larger amount of
the article has been used in the United
States the past than in any preceding
year. 1t Is estimated that at least two
thousand tons, have been used in Della.
ware. 1t has been Ssought after bv our
! most nt'llig"ntfsrmers, and many who
have used II previously, have increased
their purchases III. present year.
Nor do believe that the price of gu.
ano has declined. In 1S41 we could
buy one ton Of guano for less than o5
bushels of wheat, the price Of which was
tlrn $500 per bu,h-l. Whea, now
brings % cents in Baltimore; the freight
and commissions of, reduces the price
to the farmer OF the Eastern Shore to
90 cents; and by adding the COMMISSIONS
aa@ trstghts to the price of guono in
Baltimore, you will readily perceive
that it requires more than three times as
much wheas nou to purchase ton ofgu-
mo, as it did in lS47.
| 1t is not thc Prize ofguano that ha,
fallen, owing to its exhaustng proper
ties, but the inability of farmers to pnr.
chase by the fall in price of our great
staple, wheat; caused by the curse of
.'ree Trade. 1t is FREE TRADE. that
/ has increased the price of grano and
every other article of Foreign produc-
ton as well as American, by decrcas.
ing our ability to purchase. Hence the
continued expectation of the Precious
Metal, and consequently the depre cha.
ton of American Labor, American
property and the reputation of certain
hipeds called American Statesmen: who
in my opinion, lsgislate for foreie IN in.
terests and not for the interests of thi,
country.
You will perceive that, have spun
out quite long letter for the rerusal
of my friend CoNos' believing, as do.
that more real good is done BY practi.
cal farmer giving the results Of his fail.
IRE occasionally, than that of his sue.
cesStul experiments only.
| might have told the whole story.
and answered all the interrogations Of
your corresl ondcnt "CoMos" in few
lines, and should have done so, only that
from his paper it night fairly be infer.
red, without the explanation of the true
cause, that my farm had actually been
exhausted, from yield of 27a bushels
to less than ten bushels of wheat, in the
short space of or 4 years. Thus, that
when guano was applied to wheat as it
ought to be. particularly on roor ex.
hausted lands; an income of from three
to five bushels to the acre might reason
ably be expected, from an application
of 100 lbs. of guano; or from 9 to Is
bushels TO dressing of 300 lbs. per
acre. and besides which. that the cIoror