Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-11-23
THE MERCHANT PLANTER.
SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF GUANo
nI-RINc TIE ppEcrNr Sr asnN

On the 29th of July, we paid a visit OIL
inspection to the plantation of Rice Duliu
Esq, of Charleston. This plantation is sit.
ualed nine miles east of Newberry Court
House, and is now under systematic course
of improvement, which reflects great credit
upon its liberal proprietor. In our August
number, we gave sketch of the true i" far.
mer planter" we nowshave equally as in
terestng and necessary character to deal
with in the me, chant labor" who relies on
our rapidly increased and remunerating pro-
duction by the aid of a liberal application OF
Peruvian Guano.
1t may be as well to state that in our ride,
we passed the plantations of Maj. R. B.
Holman and Col. Jno p. Kinard, and upon
their chinquepiu lands, saw admirable results
from the application OF Guano to the cotton
crop, their fields being unsurpassed for the
season, ard in most luxuriant and pros
porous condition. These lands were once
regarded indifferent for planting purposes,
but with The processes Of culture resorted to
by their present proprietors, they now stand
high in value when estimated by their pro.
ductive capacity. Mr.. Dulin's plantation
was originally fine and productive cotton
land, abounding in decomposed granite, and
resting upon good clay subsoil. Its loamy
topsoil was consequently well adapted, not
only to the production of cotton, but small
grains. 1t has, however, been much exhaust.
ed by injudicious groupings, and, like most
plantations in South Carolina, the uplands
are the worse for wear" 1t is upon these
exhausted lands that he has experimental
on quite large scale, by the application of
Guano and plaster of Paris, both upon corn
and cotton. In order to make the experiments
a fair test, he has left and marked rows Of
cotton throughout the whole length of. his
fields, 10 which there$was nothing applied.
The difference instbese and the guanoed
crop is most desifable<-the former being
small, pale green and covered withscurled
leaves, showing the presence of parastical
insects, and promising to yield not more
than 500 pounds of seed cotton to the acre.
The portion to which the guano and plaster
were applied, was large, luxuriantly dark
green, cegered with bolIs, and; with a fayo.s
rable autumn, would promise, TO Judge by
at least ;lJS6 s &c ;5foands TO the
acre, Upon the corr, there wassnots much
difference in that manured with
Guanos and; that to whigtsa a liberal quantity
seed had tbs6ns applied, with the
exception that the evidently .si.o i ise sye
Weeks nearer maturltysss application TO &c. 1
that tits rapidly forcisas also n,ande eyoerii.
real crops Mr.. Dulin I Eean iG5nno. Kettle:
meaRtss men pyaits, and COMPTON Salt, but that to
which the two latter were applied exhibited
but little perceptible difference from tho por.
ton on which no manure was used. Plaster,
however, he thinks abous rs good for cotton
as common stable or compost manures. The
African Guano was OF no value whatever
On the oat crop, the most marked differ:
ence was made by the application of guano.
We saw in a very poor field, the soil of
which was completely exhausted, and nothing
left but glady substratam oil pipe clay and
mica, single breadth upon which Guano
was applied, and whilst the rest of the field
showed from the stubble that the crop was
worth gathering, this portion attests the val
ue of this fertilizer by its rank and thick
stubble, which Mr.. Hopkins, the efficient
overseer, told US grew as good oats as he
would desire 10 harvest.
The Guano was applied to the cotton at
the rate of 80 pounds to the acre, well mix.
ed with 100 pounds of plaster, and sown in
the drill. The cost Of this application was,
all told, four dollars per acre. Corn received
a spoonful to the hill. We observed that a
field of rich bottom land had received its
dose of Guano-and though this land was
deep alluvial, and, to the eyes of most plan
ters, would require no manure at all, with
good seasons to produce DO or so bushels OF
corn per acre-stl the spirited "merchant
planter determined to see the difference i'll
the production made by this application, on
rich as we'll rs on exhausted lands. There
was very marked difference in the color of
the corn, as well as in its luxariance and
general forwardness, over that which had re-
ceivcd no Guauo. Whilst upon low lands,
we took great pleasure in observing the very
extensive operations of embanking in pro-
gress on this plantation. There is now fin
ished about mile of levee, twelve feet high,
with a thirty foot base, which, when com.
pleted, will protect several hundred acres oil
fine alluvial swamp land from freshets; and
all this will he done at cost of at least five
dollars. The reclamation of our
low lands, and their protection from freshets,
should be an important consideration with
the people Of South Carolina. We were
much pleased to see several hundred acres OF
stubbl, land sown in peas broadcast, much
of which is to be laid down in wheat, ma.
nured with Guano, in the fall. This is a sys-
tenn of reclamation seldom resorted to or
practised on cotton plantation. On this
plantation four hundred acres Of cotton are
planted, and from six to eight thousand
bushels of corn annually raised. Mr.. Dulin
sent one thousand bushels of wheat, early In
the season to New York, for which he re-
ceived sl.3S per busbel-which fine price
was realized in consequence OF its being the
earliest wheat in the market. We have-ra.
ther singular product to chronicle, which
may startle some of our planters, and when
we It'll them that fourteen bushels of large
Globe turnp seed were gathered on this
plantation, tpelue of which were shipped to
New York for market, they will be sur.
nrised. We asked for few Of these prolific
turnips, and found in our carriage upon start
inc only half bushel, which we have par
tially distributed with much satisfaction
amongst our neighbors. A fine stock of hogs
and lowing cattle, attested that the livestock