Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-12
From the Washington Republic

GUANO.
T., our uo,;ca IN Wednesday of correspondence
which had been forwarded for publication oy Ine
Hon J. D. Freeman, of Mississippi, we c'eG tl'e
abatement of the writer Of the principal Ietter-Ho
A. B. Davis, of Maryand-ln Ie'erence Of that
narration of ruano in 1884, as the hrst arrival OF '
manure in the United States. friend has since in
formed us that this impression is erroneous anu ~
confirmation Of the remark has handeG Us SOPy "
. letter received by President Monroe from Commo-
dore Stewart, of the United States Navy as Tar Odc
as 1928 from which it appears that the CommouoIt'
while in command of the squadron IN The racine,
became acquainted with the teTtlzin9 properties "
puano and at the tune took steps TO Introduce II -
the notice of the agricuursts of this country Ill"
following are the material portions OF the letter
UNITED STATES SHIP FRANKLIN'
Vaparaso March l3, 1928.
D.or Sir. I have taken the liberty TO transmit 10
you (via New Bedford care of William R. no''%)
barrel of wheat from Arquepa, Upper E r .;soI
only within a few years that wheat mas pe 'a'0
in that province, but it proves remarkable LOT us
nsss ss we'll as whiteness when manufactured into
bread. have therefore deemed it worth an expert
ment in our country, and knowing inc lneles' you
tale in agricultural pursuits, send this sample III
the hone that it will arrive in time to enable you to
make an experiment next year. :,
There is a species of manure in use in Peru called
uuano or huana in Spanish, which Is extremely fer
t;Iizing and is found in great abundance at two or
thee places islands the sea coast, Were II IS
obtained for trhe but under present circumstances
war existing, it is sometimes sold IN ArquePa as Hgn
as eight dollars the fanagO (about two bushels') IL
is so strong manure that they put but one spoonful
on every other hill of 1t is used IN the helds,
gardens and elsewhere, and it is said will destroy or
keen off insects Of all kinds. l have, therefore,
tbonoht il would be efectual against grub worm
and the Hessian fly, which would be great acqul-
sition to country, shp-oads OF 1t could De go
without difficulty. | shall take the lrst opportunity
of procuring some barrels oil it, and forwarding 1t to
the United States.
remain your excelency's
Mott obedent servant,
(Sioned( CHARLES STEWART.
To his excellency, JAMES MONROE,
President of the United States"
The exact date of the arrival of the guano does
not appear, but General Skinner, in his Farmer 8
Library for July, 1915. states that In the spring OF
ls25-twenty years previous-he received from the
President the two barrels forwarded by the Commo-
dore and distributed their contents amongst some Of
the intelligent farmers In the eastern States, VINO
rsported favorable results No measures were taken
however, to procure further supply, nor was any
thing more heard of guano until 1889 or 1910, when
few bags were carried to England for experiment.
We now append Mr. Davis letter:
"GREENwooD, Montgomery, Md,
March 90, 1852.
Dear Sir: had the honor, by Saturdays mail,
to receive your favor Of the Goth inst, enclosing
letter to you from the Hon. John ID. Freeman, Rep
resentave in Congress from the State of Mississippi,
asking of you information to the supply, and
cost Of guano in this State and what it will cost
landed at Mobile or New Orleans, which Information
you ask me to give.
take great pleasure in giving SO far as 1t is in
my power, the desired information.
Guano, you are aware, is the deposit of innumeE-
BILE sea-fowl, and some amphibious animals whose
food consists almost entirely of marine shells and fish,
chiefly upon islands in the South Pacific ocean. 1t
has been preserved in its greatest purity the Pc
ruvian coast, from The remarkable phenomena of the
most total absence of rain or moisture, both coast
wise and inland, in a considerable portion Of that
country. Other guanos have been found south OF
Peru and recently Mexican gudno has been intro
duced in the port of Baltimore, but whether from the
Pacific Gufcoast, have not learned. All of these
the Gillian, Pategonian, and Mexican-have been
pronounced by chemists and experiment, far
ny observation extends confirms the correctness of
the oPlnon) inferior to the Peruvian, doubtless owing
TO the presence of rain and moisture in all those
countries, which is almost, before stated, totally
unknown upon the coast of Peru.
It's use in Peru manure has been long known
but its application is Immediately followed by irrigG-
on, which is necessary in that hot and arid country
for the development of its er.ilizing power. Its in
PRODUCTION into England and the United States is Of
very recent date. The frs: cargo imported into Ball-
more-it being. / believe, the first in the United
Siates-was in the year 1874. 1t was at first used
with caution, and in very limited quantities, from the
twofod reason OF, first, its high COST and, secondly
the doubt with practical farmers, of possibility of
SO small quantity Of DUST exerting such wonder
full power upon vegetation ii represented do.
l believe the honorable Senator Pearce, of Kent
county Col. CaPron, OF LAUREL Prince Georges CO
and Edward Sabler, of Sandy Spring, in this (Mont-
gomery) county, have the honor Of being the first or
among the first in this State, TO give the result of
in the first volume of the farmers Library and the
first volume, new series, of the American Farmer,
and interesting well for the general success of
the first application of guano, for the failure or
transient benefit in some of the experiments then
made. The failure then. as well as the failure of
similar experiments since made, is now well under
stood to result from too superficial application of the
guano. Moisture here, well as moisture in Peru
has been found by experience necessary its full de-
Velopment. This is obtained here hY burning the
guano with the plough several inches below the
surface of the SOIL and beyond the influence of the sun
and drying winds to which climate is subject
Some jndicious practical farmers say eight or ten
inches Is not too Deep though have practical ex-
Perlencs myself in so great depth. l am confident
that depth Of less than four inches in our climate
for summer crop, will hazard the expected benefit
from its use.
Since the successful experiment of Mr. Stabler upon
his single acre Of wheat, detailed in his letter of
iembe, ls45 already referred from the application
OF the previous autumn, the of guano has steadily
and rapidly increased in this county as we'll as in the
lower and Underwater counties, both on the eastern
and western shore ofthe Chesapeak and it has also
rapidly extended into the State of Virginia. From
single cargo in l944, and but two or three in IS45
brought into the port of Baltimore, such has been
the popularity OF, and growing dema nd for this won
derfu manure, that during the year 1854 period of
only seven years from its first introduction-the i'm
port into the port had up 10 the aroe ouan
uty OF $4,000 tons, which was all sold at The bi1b
price Of from SAC 10 $49 per legal ton from the YES
sci. In this county-wIth population of less than
sixteen thousand souls-irom the small exDeriment
already referred to, and two others not oven
of $4,000. were bought by our farmers The resnIt
has been increase since 5Of.,