The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-09-14
"a q RIGU T U R AL.

"a GR @ u L T U R AL.
From the Southern Agricul'urist.
/ The. Application of Peruvian
dalsllRO to Cotton.
2Fs Mr.. ED1roR: For the benefit cf my
brother planters, you will allow me
EEsatshort space i'll your valuable jeurnal,
to- give the result 'ofTny experiment
with Peruviau Guano, as applicable to
u cottea Twill con6ue myself simply
y to a statement of facts.
In the spring Of 1852, procured 3
little over . ton Of guano. and applied
1.-TWO hundred and fifteen pounds to the
acre. Not yuiifrcqucntly Plaster OF
Paris is mixed with it III the proper
tion Of one-eighth Of one fourth, but in
order to. test accurately the additional
product of the land, uisaided by any
thing else, i mixed only with sand.
This was done also to render its ap-
splication more Uniform.
~ The land upon whici, this experiment
was made, was originally what might
Abe termed lively sandy, long leaf
I pine land-the clay about eighteen
|; inches from the surface-adinining rich,
rolling, oak and hickory land: The
field was cleared thirty.Gvc YEARS ago,
and was completely exhausted By CON
tinueds cultivation. 1t, however, had
$fourycars rest previous to the exper-
i timent, and had produced scanty crop
{ of poor grass. This was burnt off in
January, and the land broken up With
q shovel plough Immediately after
s wards.
Late in April, tho rows were drawn
off with shovel plough, pretty deep,
and in these furrows the mixture Of
sand and guano was strcwn-lcaving
out an acre about the centre, to be
planted without guano, which | and my
inanagcr, who is a man of excellent
judgment, thought to be Of the same
quality MS the rest. Beds were thrown
up by passing on either side with the
Il same plough, and the cotton was plant
ed in chops about twelve inches apart.
The effect Of the guano was manifest
by the time the cotton was q week
old, and was most marked during the
whole season, and the yield was rs.
tonishing. The acre without g,,ano,
and an average acre OF the guanoed,
were gathered carefully in good wealth.
er, and weighed when picked out, nnd
3 the former produced one hundred ana
y thirty-fve pounds Of seed cotton.
4 whilst the latter produced five hun
4drcd and eghty-onc pounds. All will
admit that the land was poor enough
Ftor,an experiment. Of this sort 1t will
81 be ascertained that the guanoed acre
!: produced four hundred and forty. six
I pounds more than the unguanocd acre,
4 and if three pounds of seed will make
ono Of clean Cotton, you will have
one hundred and forty eight pounds
( ofclear Cotton, which, if valued Mt
cents q pound, is worth Sll,S4. The
tsaddiiion cotton seed l value at one dol
ar, us manure making the total pro-
afliet of the gtiano sl2,e4. Deduct
\ from this the cost Of the guano applied
to the acre; which was $6, and it will
giTe s6.s4 as the net gain. This
is over q hundred per cent. on the
. amount expended in guano.
S@sf Nor is this MI: 1t has certainly left
4 the lard in an improved condition, if
present appearances are not deceptive.
At is now at rest, and the growth of
vegetation on il, up to this time, is
as marked this year rs that ofthc Cot
ton YVES last. This is no small item
ssEif estimating its value, and 60 so
& far8ns to affirm that il would be econo
my TO use it, if the overplus Of Cotton
only y rcmunerated you for the cost of
the guano. The improvement to the
land /, and the labor saved in the cul-
tiyation of less land To the hand, in or
aerto produce given crop Of Cotton
added to the advantages derived from
resting the. land which would otherwise
BE planted, will far moro than repay
for tie trouble Of putting down the GU
{ ano.
have five tons this year, which
Twill apply in the same manner,
andaliope to be enabled to give you
MS favorable account oft.
lhaye been thus particular, Mr..
Editor, in order to give, sufficient data
to all to draw their own conclusions.
-. Very respectfully,
Z ea. ]. M. DANTZLER.
st. Matthews. April lG, 1868,