The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-08
The GuanO Trade.

BY repudi sting his obligations TO adopt Lis6ig,"
whom he d,s, qaoed on questions In agricultural
and by silenee on the other eminent an
thor ites, your correspondent Ammonia" avoyedly
and tacitIy ADMITS the ruth Of oar prop ,sitions,
established Ia your paper OF the 9Th inst to wit
/. Ammonia Ia corrective poison TO botl animal
az vegetable lie.
2. These statements a5o1t ammonia and its
effects or vegetation though true and ably sustained
by the highest authorities co no. announce nav
era in agricultural chemistry, because the authori
ties that sustain these facts old as the science
Of agricultural chemistry itself.
8. Phosphate Of lime, constituting less than one
fourth OF the gross weight Of Peruvian guano, is the
only valuable manure contained in It,
4. TIE Mexican guano, from the rainy districts,
contains in round numbers three times as much
pbosp, ate OF lime the Peruvian from the rainless
Chincha Islands; hence the Mexican phosphate gu
ano is worth three times as much "a the Peruvian
ammoniscal guano as an agricultural manure.
After tscitly admitting the fore going propositions
by silence On tie eminent authorities that sustain
them, "Ammonia" makes pathetic appeal TO the
cIeduity Of yGur read RS when he asks, "Wh9s does
the reader think OF the queston-wil it be believed
that in oil forms, degrees and circumstances, ammo
mia is Q corrosive poison to animal and vegetable
life? Because ammonia is injurious when applied
alone and in excess, can it be 80 when applied in
small quantities, and In whatever connection or cir
cumstances?'
Yes, certainly we can snswer for the gentle read
err All tie authorities say yes. d.. Ure says, Gan
animal plunged into it [uos minute grain plunged
into the ANIMAL speedily dies" All onr medical
schools, speaking through the United States Dis
pensatory, say its efcts are those ola corrosive
poison Ana the same authority intimates tina. it
cannot be taken alone, even in small quantities,
when says at Is rresprable the glott is closing
spasmo ideally when the attempt lie made TO breathe
it."
Your correspondent is not very explicit 1, terms:
we ere left 70 comic .ture how much is meant by
small quar- tities.' A 1y may drown in pint o.
water while thirsty camel would deem that very
small quantity. We may approximate the meaning
by supposng taat in agricultural uanuces,
shovel or fcrkfall may be large, and that SPOON
full may bs o small quantity. Add although
" Ammonia repudi.tes "anv obligation" on his
part 70 adopt L!ebgs opinion on this
subject we suppose he will feel under obligations 10
adm: the opinions and sayings Of practca. farmers,
ceiling d. erts AMI certilcate writers, whom the
Per aviau Guauo Company sought and employed to
procure and publish IN penDhlef forol, /" hu. drsds
and thousands OF unquaided testimonials in favor
its extraordinary increase"
Amorg those Iubiisbed certificates are s,ns very
Sensible and, bea,ing directly OF this point, Of
tain cea,n to vegetation, Ia apgying Pemy;al an.
moDiscal euapo in smsi quantities, and IN whatever
conn.cii Il OF circumstance" At page 46 Of the
"thoussId urqush6eG teatinonials,n Mr.. Allen, a
highly respectable yen'leIoan, says :" Never put
guano Peruvian in the hill with corn, no matter IL
covered two or tbrce inches Deep go sure ~ the
roofs touch the gusn1, it WI certainly kill the
corr" ~. Allen cocs cot stale how small quin
hty of the amm5riacal gnsno is repaired 70 xii
vegetation, but from F,a si.teMeut we may infer
that sinsle grain Is death t. corn; and be adds
" fhs same vita heans, peas, melon VINES, and in
tact, most vegetable crops" At page 80 Of those
ext aordirary to- t,monals is .eter from very
spectsbe farmer OF Long Island, Seth Riyn0r, Esq,
who Gays, II ave lot f9us5 1t [Peruvian gua0ol 20
k,l the coil, as some cell ~" Well, nobody supposed
the anInoniacM guapo wsa more destru,.ive than
aIsenlc or fire rat:iesoske bi e. neither of which
"kill The soil, "a some call l.. Bat AR. Rsynor
Tour II very poisorc5i and destructive TO veSeta-
tion, even in ve'y small quantities. On page 30 he
says, zone tabl4sD olfli [of Peruvian ammoniacl
az q that requires - ne put some six Inches from
The set d, o,her@se II viii Kill it, Thus it appears
That tablespoonful SIX i,chss cistsot from corn or
seed, I'll ceraigly "kiu H." The leader NAV sup
poe ha' the satisfactory p-o # Of its proosr.
tee, to to. SO Tho .cok for practical evdsncen is
the dstsDc8 CT at which q splgl au ,ntitv "a dead
shot On corn. Theu 50 mnci Tor practical evidence
oil the tact. Nos, by syhthsss We may inquire if
a tablespoonful kills com AID seed al SIX inches az
what oistaCce wi q tea tablespoonful kill corn or
seeds! Or, IL Tablespoonful u Peruvian ammonia.
Cal guaDo VIII Bill hill OF corn AZ six inches at
what dstsncs Ei'l TN OF Peruvian guaco XIII an
acre Of corn? We may be spsred some men al eff.
font 81 syI teesis the latter in ogaory as we
find "tbe interesting fact mentioned by the caodii
and gentle manly Mr. Raynof. who, on page 90 Of
those "ruqaslifa ID testimonials" says, some have
cst acres by putting their corn on that Tablespoon
flu little quantity
Nov, hr Editor, although .'Arnmonia" repu Iistes
i ia sF.a.n 1|ra Il.
that he is unGer mo obligations to siops Liebig,
merely be>auss Ammonia qu'ted him on a point
oil iact be is certainly under oblig All Jus TO adJpr
or admit the evidence from his own gtrong and
unqualified Testimonials which have been published
IN the Peruvian amnoniacsi company's pamphlet,
which spys tablespoonful ofthe Peruvian aumoni.
csi Guano WI KID iili OF com at six inches
a.s.S &c; hhreD, indepen lent Of Lebis Tnr-
All 'le of the On Of 0scsntsr, we have,
by his own rule # eTdsn e, aud using hil
cSn words, shown that "becEuse apmon,
Is d.sl 70 plants when leo ped their roots there.
fore il h so vhtn Used Ia minute portions and not
placed ON the roots, AID also that "ths reore the
am aonia in Peruvian fnano would be OF no value"
For surely there ran 20 10 commercial or sgricul.
tural value in An en- M ii, al suano that viii Kill
corn and other seedr ut six aches distance; cs q.
cally when the best authorities say, 1--WE Iunoi |
increase the fert lily Of our nelcs by supply Of |
manure, or by salts Of ammonia"
Ard, Of we may be permitted 10 PRIME the ger.
tleman's barren prop3gatioIs) be cause ammonia IL
fatal to planLs when applied in minute portions six
inches distant, there ore it is fatal poison when
hsaped on The roots. And hence, II one spoonful Of
The impure Ditrogeniztd sandy, filthy ammoniaoi
CON- pound knows as Ptruvisn gusno will kill q nil
Of corn az Fix inches distance, therefore minute
portion Of pure ammonia ia destructive to whole
acres OF grain, ard is corrosive poison {, b,tn
snimal aad vegetable life, as proved by prac,lcs
BY experts in agriculture, by The highest authorities
in science, and by the mast familiar truths in or
saric ard inorganic chemistry. (Hide HERALD,
Dec. CO.
Now, all ''thsse facts about the deadly influence
Of pure ammonia or about the deadly influence Of
pure Peruvian guano, are not new, and constitute
no new era. We certainly stated ell these facts In
your paper Of the 22l Nov; and again on the 9Th
nit, sustained by the highest authorities, as old az