Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-09-27
G U A N 0.

Inspector the Washington correspon-
dent Of the New York Courier and Enquirer,
in his letter Of the 7th, has the following re
marks upon this favorite manure. We in
sert the passage inorder that our agricultural
friends may seethat opinion as to The fertiliz
ing properties of Guano are divided. With
out having any practical knowledge of its
SO much vaunted efficacy, it might SAVIOR Of
presumption in US to offer any suggestion Of
our own at variance with the generally es-
tablished faith. But we cannot forbear re-
marking tha. in the views Of the writer from
whom we quote there is force which serves
TO strengthen the doubts Ue have always
Entertained about the claims of this great
Peruvian fertilizer, as it is deemed, TO the
merit which has been awarded it. We have
been informed long since by more thar one
respectable farmer who has used it, that it
possesses no really, substantially improving
efficacy, although, under highly favorable
circumstances, it acts with wonderful energy
upon Wheat sown upon poor land, and also
upon other crops. But its effects are only
temporary, and the soil is not actually
strengthened by asingle application sufficient
ly for even second crop, much less for a
succession of crops. It is in fact mere
stinaulant, and is by no means to be relied
! on as such restorative as is desirable for
worn out lands. Its fiery quality is well
known. and this renders it destructive of the
grain if itcomes into immediate contact with
it, and, what is equally to be deprecated by
the farmer, it greatly increases the destruc
tive agency of drought. Another impor
tant consideration is that it is very costly
article, and we question whether the same
money laid out in other fertilizers would no
in the end yield more profitable return
Stables and barn yards we believe to bt
much more valuable resources to our far
mers. if properly fixed and managed, thar
the Lobos Islands We throw out thes,
observations for the purpose of exciting
more careful attention on the part fagricultu
ralists to the subject, in the light of the strc
lures of the Courier's correspondent. 1t i
certainly matter of much interest to them
and we do not think that we can render then
a better service than to present to them th
views of SO intelligent writer as the on
from whose letter we make the following e1
tract Petersburg IateIIigencer.
"Guano has proved an expensive delusior
something of a hulnbug. 1t was used b
the Incas three or four hundred years ag
with great advantage, but is too fast fe
these times. 1t extinguishes the seed wit
which il comes in contact, and nearly burn
up the soil itself. The price of Guano her
is from fifty to sixty-6ve dollars per ton {
1000 lbs. Its use is chiefly confined to th
districts between the Delaware and the Capt
of the Chesapeake. The farmers i'll that r.
gion are coming to the conclusion that ii
immense sums expended upon fiery stim
Iants to their soils have been thrown AVA
Its use has been particularly disastrous tn
year. 1t destroyed nearly all the India
corn planted with it. The replanted col
in the same lands came up, it is true, b.
was caught by the drought and will n
mature and the singular spectacle is prese
ted of fair crop on lands not manured