Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-30
ACTION OF GUANo ON TOBACCO.

subscriber furnishes the editor of the Richmond En-
qurer with the following interesting letter relative
the Importance Of guano in raising heavy crops of tobacco
The letter. this particularly be other
wise than interesting to all growers of tobacco:
CUMBERLAND FEBRUARY 8, 1853.
Ny DEAR SIR: Yours Of the 10th utmo did not reach
me till last Saturday in consequence of having been d
rected to Farmville instead of Stony Point Mills and
take the earliest opportunity to reply to it.
My experiment in growing such heavy crop Of tobac-
last year has attracted great deal of attention. and
take pleasure in detailing for the benefit planting
interest Of the State. The ground pretty literally
dressed with home manures from my stables
pens and pits as think ought always 70 be donsif
soras srew tobacco pro6taby wh<s Twas going TO bed
s'a On 'ss sscn nss a5 g e
sifted Peruvian guano weighing judge, about one hun
dred pounds intimately mixed with one bushel ground
alum salt. then mixed two and half bushels Mexican
guano, weighing, suppose, one hundred and sixty or
one hundred and seventy pounds, and one and half
bushels Of Kettlewes mixture Of potash and plaster,
about one hundred and fifty hundred and sixty
pounds, and shoveed them all well together and sowed
the mixture broadcast The of the whole about
Sc. .25 per The crop that planted in good time
was Of plants and the very difficult
am sure gave me two thousand pounds per acre. The
tobacco topped from eighteen twenty-five leaves
and ripened remarkably well to the top leaf without
hring The tobacco was cultivated for the manufacturers
andis Of very fine quality, and remarkably sweet
My for this mode Of cultivation few and
simple. Our old lands in this region, and doubt not
generaly IN middle virginia, are more deficient In phos
pilates and potash than any other Of the mineral
nures and the tobacco plant must have these elements in
order to ripen IL well The Peruvian guano has but a
small part Of its value in phosphate-only about
sixth, and five sxhs Of its money value $40 to
the ton, in ammonia, which powerfully stimulates the
growth Of tobacco without causing rpen without
giving it the healthy growth which viii il against
firing The Mexican guano is the richest that has been
brought to the country in phosphaes containing 81 70 90
per cent and only two per cent Of ammonia Con-
sequeny about ve-sxths Of its money value is in the
phosphates and about one-sxth in the ammonia. This
suggested the idea Of mixing the two The salt put
with the Peruvian to fix the ammonia and TO furnish the
murates and the soda But the tobacco plant specially
needs potash especially in its rpenng outer
OF the stalk and the stems being formed principally
Of siliciate Of potash Thus you see at glance what
aimed to accomplish by my mixture.
The beyond my expectations 1t the
heaviest crop Of tobacco saw-and said every
one who IT,
The Mexican guano be had at Baltimore at S25
per ton Of 240 pounds Sterling Ahrens deal in il.
The potash and plaster Mr.. Kettlewe Of Baltimore,
prepares and sells at $3.50 per barrel of about 800
pounds.
lost may say, tobacco by fire. while every Of
my neighbors had TO cut their crops for FIRE.
With high regard, yours, very truly,
J. s. ARMISTEAD.