The southerner., 1852-11-20

! duty as we'll as the privilege OF every
subscriber to your valuable paper, to
cooperate with you in disseminating
important facts in agriculture, as may
from time to time become known to one
and another of them, do not mean by
this the teachings Of theories, for they
are entirely too delusive for farmers
use, but the practical teachings of ex.
periments actually ard correctly made,
so that there can be no mistake about
| truth.
1 have something to say, by the way,
to economise in the use of guano, which
from its high price is a matter of no lit
tie Importance to the farmer. 1t must
be known to all who have used this ma
nure, that a bag of it contains about
one-half in powder, and the other half
in Jumps; now, if it be applied to land
without first separating the powder from
the Jumps, a great loss evidently will
ensue. So, on my opening the first
bag that had ever used, it became a
matter of thought with me, in what
way could most effectually, and at the
same time most expeditiously, make the
separation. | was at once led to adopt
the seive, but to use it to its full ad
vantage some attendant convenience
was necessary, so [ had box made of
two-inch plank, nine feet long by five
feet wide, and fourteen inches deep.
This box was divided into three divis-
ions, by two shifting boards, crossways,
which slide into grooves made in the
side boards, so that the box can at any
time be used as a whole Or In two Or
three divisions, just as circumstances
mi ight require. Now for the operation
of sitting: have a bag Of guano opened
quite near one end of the box, and COM
mence sitting; the fine falls into the di-
vision next to the bag, the Jumps that
remain in the sieve are thrown into one
of the other divisions. In this way the
mass is cfcctually and cxpeditiously
separated The fine is then libcrally
sprinkled with salt water from the rlv-
er, and well mixed; it is then fit for use.
The Jumps are we'll saturated also with
salt water, and in a few days begin
gradually to crumblc when stored; a re-
sitting may then be made, and so on
| until all is brought to a condition to ap-
ply. Great economy also can be exer-
., cised in applying guano to land.-To
l use it as top-dressing is absolutely
4 useless; nay, it is positively injurious,
7 for it will destroy the leaf if any adhere
to it, if not the plant itself. [ once
, tried it as top-dressing to some rows Of
+ COW peas when foot high; the result
$ was the scalding of the leaves, without
l any benefit to the growth or product OF
: the plant. There is also great loss in
, broad-casting, although it may be
ploughed in with all despatch, unless il
i is done in cloudy or rainy weather.
have abandoned the use of guano in any
other way except in trenches; in this
way the full benefit of the guano applied
y is obtained for the plant, without any
' loss whatever. For the planting o
i corn, Irun a double mould plough, anc
: thus open deep and wide trench-th(
land having been we'll ploughed ane
narrowed previously-every f. or five
feet apart-a hand follows with buck
ct containing 10 pounds ofguano damp
ed with salt water, or mixed with one
: third salt OF plaster, which is sprinkleC
c as evenly as possible in the trench 2l(
s feet long-being the length Of an acre
L this hand is Immediately followed b,
J. another with horse and sub-soil plough
which is run once up and down th
81 trench as deep as possible, when the gu
l. ano and earth becomes completely in
: corporated. Another hand follows wit
II u a marker, making dots at every Il
ST inches distance; this hand is followe
< by sower, dropping 4 or 5 grains a
D every dot. When the entire row j
p planted, common plough is run alon
it, covering the corn, and thus we contir
y ue until the whole field is planted; the
u o moderately heavy harrow is run u
~ and down the rows, (not across them,
1e to level the bed made over the corn b
the plough, which finishes the cntir
eS operation.-These detailed operation
G. may be thought to be slow and tedious
but they are not SO; they are systematic
IS but yet as expeditions as any other pla
s. that can be adopted in carefully settip
- a crop of corn; the advantages also ria
90 ,l be obvious to every practical fa1me
q q [ saw in one of our Charleston paper
an article taken from the Frederic
Herald, which gives the credit to tt
~ Hon. James A. Pe:arce of writing abo1