Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-01
AG RICULTURA.L.
From hr Southern Planter.
lS with GualaO.


Experiments with GuanO.
The following essay was prepared at the
request ofthe Wardsiork Club; since read
ing it, several friends, who heard that it
contained III condensed form the result
of great many experiments with guano,
have applied for it. In searching for the
essay as presented to the Society, have
only been able to find the first draft, which
is somewhat variant from the one read
have determined, as the most convenient
mode Diminishing it to those who desired
to read it, to offer it for publication in your
paper, with slight hope that it may be
useful to others.
Beingrequested by the Club to submit my
views onguano, Unjust premise that neither
myownexperience rthecxperience ofany
one farmer, for the short period Of timeHbat
guano has been introduced amongst US, is
sufficient to enable us to form correc.
opinion ofits value. The accurate expert
ments Of the English, Scotch, German and
French farmers ought to be collated and
brought to bear on the question of its eff
cacy.
ny it ought to be put down as fired fact,
that guano is fertilizer. have examined
more than one thousand experiments, and
in more than ninety five in the hundred, its
use resulted in increased production.
The only question of interest is, docs it
pay-does it reimburse with profit the in
vestment made init!
There are evidently two extreme opin-
ions on the efficacy Of manures. Those
who with Licbig and Pctzhold reject the
corbonaceous and gaseous matters, as use
less or of little value, and those who enter
tain the common prejudice against guano
and other special manures that they are
applied in too small quantities to do good
BY the aid of analysis and experiment
the constituents of plants have been ascer-
tanned; and the modern theory of agricul-
tural chcmistsis is, that no plant can grow on
n soil that does not contain the same sub
stances that arc found in the plant; the idea
10, that in the growth or organism of plants
they possess no power Of making new ele-
ments. Of the transmitting one element
into another, that the plant appropri-
ates, or as it is more technically called, as
Stimulates the food, fitted to its organs,
found around it, and can do no more; and
has no power Of creating matter.
Now according to this theory, the ne
cessities ofmost cultivated plants, as found
by analysis, favor the idea of great value
in guano.
Its prominent constituents are, phos-
plate Of lime and ammonia. As | am not
expected to occupy much time, the club
will have to take my authority for the state
ment, that / have examined several hun
drcd experiments, witha view to ascertain
what are the most ehicacious constituents
of manure. and although there are cxcep-
tons, yet as general rule, those manurcs
that showed the greatest increase of pro-
duction, contained the most ammonia and
phosphate oflime. The grain ofcereals it
is said cannot be produced without phos-
phorus, as proved by Boussingault's expe-
riments with plants grown in land without
il.
Now, very few manurcs contain either
phosphorus or ammonia in such large pro-
portion as guano. Horse dung about three
quarters Of one per cent. ofammonia, good
specimens of guano, about ten per cent
Guano contains some twenty-five per cent.
Of phosphates, fresh stable manure three
tenths fone per cent. Very few manures
in nature contain much phosphorus. We
have cheap sulphunc manure in gypsum.
Ashes, mica. felspar, and many clays fur
nish potash. Carbonate of lime, horn
blende, &c. furnish the lime of plants; but
very few minerals contain phosphorus in
any Gifts combinations. Native phosphate
oflme, or the mineral apaite, is found in
few places; some little has recently been
carried from Spain to England for ma
nurc. Most of the phosphorus plants is
taken froma disseminated condition in good
soils; and unfortunately this rares, Of all
manures, goes to form the bones of man,
and by the custom of civilized and chris
tan communities, these bones are buried
beyond the reach vegetation of plants.
But to approach the subject more prac-
tically, condensed the results of forty
seven experiments, (selected at random,)
made with great accuracy and precision,
from the transactions Of the Highland Ag-
ricultural Society, made by different per-
sons on variety of soils. Most of these
experiments were reported in prize essays;
nine ofthese experiments were with guano,
dressed on grass; eight resulted in profit
and only one in loss-avcrage profit, (af
ter dcducting for loss sf1 Is or upwards
olive dollars on Scotch Imperial Acres
The profit in this experiment as in the
herein after named, was the net profit, af-
ter deducting cost Of manure, and ascer-
timed by comparing the crop, with the
crop on portion of the land not dressed
with any manure. Five experiments with
oats ; three resulted in profit, and two in
neither loss or profit; average profit, 81
2s. I'd, per Scotch acre. Five experiments
with potatoes, none resulted in loss; aver
age profit per imperial acre, "a rs Sd
Eleven experiments on wheat; five result
ted in loss, six resulted in profit average
profit on the whole, 12s "a, twelve shil-
lings. seven pence,) per Scotch acre
Seventeen experiments on turnips; all re-
suited in profit; average profit, se3 0s Cd.
In the great bulk Of experiments have
examined, guano pays better on turmps
than any other crop, and heavy yield of
turnips contains by analysis,more phosphate
of6me than any other it pays but poor
lyon wheat, although was surprised to
find thasi il is generally applied in Scotland
q up dressing. or slightly ploughed in
Il top dreaaed. generally sowed during
Mn. The Club will be surprised to learn,
sThs Scotch Acre i. lss English nearly one