Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-20
RICULTUR

GuanO and Plaster on Corn and Clover.

Guano and Plaster on Corn and Clover.
We promised our subscribers to give
them, in our present number, some account
of an experiment made by us in the course
of the last year, with Guano and Plaster on
corn and clover. The corn land experiment
ted upon, was ten acres of a field of about
thirty-the whole much exhausted, and
"turned OUT some years since, and hence
grown up in sedge and poverty grass. That
MANFRED was considered the poorest part
of the field. In the previous winter the
land was plowed with one of Ruggles,
Nourse & Mason's Centre draft plows,
which run from 5 to 9 inches deep, and
completely reversed the sod. This pillow
was followed by a one horse sub-soil gopher,
which run some three or four inches deep
or, making the whole from eight to ten in
ches. The soil experimental on is some
what light, having a due admixture of sand.
The subsoil a stiff red clay. The land thus
prepared lay until the usual time of plant
ing, when it was laid off with a short mar
row pillow, at a distance of five feet distance,
and in this furrow, the corn was planted
three feet apart on the row, and coveredby
ridging lightly on it care being taken no
TO disturb the light coat of vegetable mat
ter that had been buried by the turning
pillow. And we will here state that, for the
sam reason, the crop was cultivated alto
gether specifically with the cultivator and
sweep, and one time each, with one hoeing
Mark this, brother farmers, and reflect
how much labor might be saved in the cul
t~ivation of our crops by properly preparing
the land. For we assure you, from on
own experience, that land having but
slight coat of vegetable matter on it, thu
prepared will need no pillow ncultivating tn
crop-for, even if it is stiff and adhesive, i
will not run together so as to require a sc
cond, third, or fourth breaking, except tn
crust that forms on the surface, which may
and should be broken with a cultivation
harrow, or sweep, only ; and with eithe
of which may be passed over rapidly an
with comparatively light labor to both ma
and horse. Excuse this dispersion, an
VIC will proceed to state how our manu-
was prepared, applied, and the result. !
preparing our compost we used the PERI
Wan guano and plaster Of Paris, groun
coal dust, or rather the scrapings from tt
coal-house floor, which was passed throug
a coarse grain seive, and lesh ashes, in IL
following order and proportions :-Firs
a bushel of coal dust Gas we shall term i
spread to about two inches thickness Sc
ond, one gallon q peck guano, spread un
formly over the coal bed third, the san
quantity probably twice as much as W
necessary Of plaster ; fourth, ono bus
el of coal dust; fifth, halfa bushel of leac
ed ashes. The same course was c%ontinu
until the quantity of guano and plast
procured was exhausted. The heap til
formed, remained undisturbed for two weel
when it was shoveled ovcr-which we We
convinced at the time should have be
done earlier, in order to prevent the setti
of the plaster which we were not able agt
to reduce to a powder. This setting,
presume, was occasioned by the moistl
imbibed from the damp coal dust, a
might have been prevented by shovelli
over the heap Immediately after it was
ished.
THE Application.-Of this mixture
spread in a circle of Is to "a inches diar
ter, around each hill of corn, when fir
six inches to a foot high, one gill, and
lowed with a light cultivator, as near
each side of the corn as could be not
tear it up. This partially covered
mixed the compost with the soil. In
state it was left, through a drought of SC
weeks, without much apparent benefit
After the first rain, however, we saw
corn was taking the start of that in
same field not MANFRED. 1t continued
gain on it to the maturity of the crop,
resulted in a gain of SO per cent. over
unmanured portion, which was ascert
cd by gathering two rows MANFRED, leay
two, one MANFRED, and one unmannred
The corn was measured in the ear OF
and the MANFRED rows not only measu
more, but was better in appearance t
that from the unmanured rows.
Bv calculation it will be ~ascertai
hat the quantity of both guano and pla
applied to the hill, was but the One-eleve
at of a gill. or n twenty-seeond par