The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-09-19
Guano ms a Manure.

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GuanO ms a Manure.
WASHINGTON, Sept. THE "Guano Cues.
tionn, occupied the attention Of a special COM
mittee of the House of Representatives during
the last session. The committee found that
three successive Administrations had made
strenuous exertions to reduce the price of Pc:
ruvian Guano without effect, and recommend
led that a d1ty be laid ON Chincha Island Gu.
1 ano, unless the Peruvian Government shall after
due representation, grant our merchants the
right to purchase the article upon the terms OF
the most favored nation.
Guano has proved an expensive delusion,
something ofa humbug. 1t was used by the
Incas three or four hundred years ago with
great advantage, but is too fast for these times.
| 1t extingushes the seed with which it comes
in contact, and nearly burns up the soil ITSELF
The price of Guano here is from fifty to sixty
five dollars per ton of 1000 lbs. Its use is
chiefly confined to the districts between the
Delaware, and the Capes Of the Chesapeake.
The farmers in that region are coming to the
conclusion that the immense sums expended
upon fiery stimulants 10 their soils have been
thrown away. Its use has been particularly
diastrous this year. 1t. destroyed nearly all
the Indian corn planted with it The re.plant-
ed corn on the same lands came up, it is true
but was caught by the drought and will not
mature; and the singular spectacle is present
! ed of a fair crop on lands not maturcd at all
and of no product worth gathering in adjoining
fields overspread with this costly but most del
eterious foreign substance. 1t is estimated
that two millions of dollars were expended
last Spring by the farmers of Virginia, Mary.
land, the District of Columbia and Delaware
in the purchase of Guano, and that they have
lost five millions of dollars in consequence.
Mr., Marcy, in his instructions to Mr.. Clay,
our Minister near the Peruvian Government,
estimates the deposites ofguano in the posses.
sion Of Peru at 5G,O0O,OOO tons. The exports
to the United States in 1852, he states at Az
900 tons. The cost Of this quantity to our
farmers in that year was about S2,6O0,00o.
The Seeetary supFoses that if existing dis.
abilities. were removed, it might be offered in
our markets at, $50 or S35 per ton. The
Special Committee however. report The cur
rent price Of the ton of 2, ,240 pounds to be
$5S, and donot suppose it can be reduced be-
low s4s per ton5 which they say would extrav-
agantly pay for the article. As, however, ex-
perience will soon cause the general abandon
ment of its use in the United States, the whole
inquiry is more curious than useful.
"But as what is curious is interesting" Isend
you a,letter of our minister, Mr.. Clay, detail.
ing many facts inrespect to the guaho depos.
its and the trade in the article. Mr.. Clay, it
will be remembered, states that the guano, of
fthe Chincha Islands alone cannot be exhausted
in less than century. This is not borne out
by the report Of Admiral . specially appoin.
ted to make the inquiry, who estimates the
amount of the deposites on this group at not
more than 5000, 900 tons. Tgo hundred thou
sand tons though were brought away in 1852,
at which rate the whole quantity, would be
exhausted in forty years Correspondence N.
T. Courier qas5y y - :s=.s Z, -.
q A GALLANT CoMBATANT.-lTh The CONSTANT.
l3nople correspondent Of the London Times
Igiyes the following account of the last strug-
glesof Lieut.. Burke, who fell at Giurgeye:
"a Mr.. Buike's body was found after the &C.
Itiot in which be lost his life with no less than
l.33wouuds upon it. The Russians had taken
This sword bell, but his sword was found hid:
den in some long grass close to the corpse
The; ring finger ofboth hands was cut of. He
was seen BY The sapper, who went with him,
lighting desperately to the last, though sur.
rounded BY horde Of Russians. When he
First leapt on shore from the boat, six soldiers
lchafged him. Two he shotwith his revolver,
ioue he cut down with his sword, and the rest
iturned and fed.
/ While he was encouraging the Turks, who
were in the stream, to row quietly to the land,
and forming them into line as they landed,
conspicuous as he was in full uniform and by
his white cover, q number Of rifemen advanced
| from behind ditch, and took deliberate aim
at him. : Poor Burke charged them with,eead.
long galantry. As he got near he was struck
!by q ball which broke his .jawbone, but he
Irushed Oh, shot three men dead close quar-
! tiers with Ehis. revolver, and cleft two men
khrough helmet tand all into, the BRAIN.
! He was then Surrounded, and while enga'