Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-07-08
Action and Method OF Using Guano.

In answer to the inquiries of our friend Of "Notly
Hail., Va, in regard 10 the action Of Guano poor
out land, We have TO reply that, on such lands,
its action should be most manifest, most beneficial,
conainifig as it does in state to be avaed Of those
substances which plants heed which such land is
mostly deficient in and without supply of which,
they cannot grow in luxuriance and perfection. The
non-acton Of The Guano upon all the kinds of vege,a
bes, with the exception of to which he applied
it. arose no doubt from the cause assigned by OBJ
servant friend, viz: the drought of the summer
Guano, like all other kindred nlanures requires
moisture TO bring out its virtues; the plants
avail themselves of any food which may be in The
ground, matter how good and congenial it may be
until that food, through the agency of water, be re-
duced 10 liquid, gaseous form, ii is or the
other of these forms which imparts the rootles of
plants the power of feeding
With regard to the mode of using guano, give it
as our opinion, which we advanced from the begin
ming, and have never any cause to change it,
that guano never should be applied without being
mixed with plaster, to fix and prevent the escape and
waste of its ammoniacal constituents. Before being
used mix 25 pounds of plaster with every 100 ponds
of guano This mixture should be soNn broadcast
the ground, and plotghed or spaded n We
believe that any manure of the concentrated natre of
guano, aboundng as it does in the elements of am
monla, in almost every state can but rarely be used
Safely except as broadcast dressing, and that II
cannot advantageously be used in the hill or drill, ex-
cept when mixed with large proportion say 20 10
OF mould or sofne other substance of similar nature
and then, that such compost should be placed as
deep as that the seed sets, plants should not
in Immediate contact with it.
If going 10 apply il to potatoes in the HILL
If We did not Use it composted with large body of
mould, above, we would use il ths after mixing
the guano with plaster. We would strew the mixture
on the bottom of the furrow or drill and then cover
that with an inch or so of woods mould other kin.
dred substance, and upon this plant the potato sets
and cover the whole over.
In using ii on water melon hills we would act his
At the point for forming the hill we would make
hole with the hoe, there deposite the mixture of giano
and plaster. mix it in with the earth and raise the hill
upon it from the surrounding mould or, we would
mix 200 pounds of guano with SO of plaster and then
compost it with 3 loads of woods mould, marsh mud
or like substance, place shovel full at the bottom of
every hill we might raise. By either of these modes
the vines would derive all the benefit from the virtues
tons would ascend and feed The rootles of the melon
plants, while the roots would descend and feast upon
those OF the constituent elements Of guao that
volatile solution of guano might be made i'll the
proportion OF b of gtlano and 10 gallons of water,
with which the melon plants may be very advantage
ously watered in times of drought. Such solution
would prove dohbly useful, first, in protecting the
vines from the effects Of drought and secondly by af
fordlng 10 them drect--food of nature adapted 10
their wants the water would decompose the ammonia
of the guano. deprive it of the power of harm, and
prepare it 10 be taken up pabulum.
We will add another remark, in order to answer
question from any Quarter: We believe the best way
to apply guano to tobacco, it broadcast over
the gtourtd ard plough it Inland that if applied 10
the hiil it should be mixed with fourth it's weight
of plaster, and for every 1C0 lbs of the guano, Three
loads of wood'smould should be composted with it
In Peru, guano is applied 10 the crops at each time of
working; but all such applications followed by
Immediate irrigation the water of which, by decom.
posing the ammonia of the manure, prevents all result
ing injury, and benefit to the growing plants
Where wheat crop is to follow the tobacco, we
would. by all means broadcast and plough the gusno
in. If treated 10 plaster and plcughed n-we have
be visible durng the ordinary period of a rotation
Editors Ameri an Farmer