The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1855-06-27
Oaks; Orange, N. c., June 2Oth, 1855.

Mr.. Eli Murray, ST., M. Pleasant, Alamance, NJ C. u
DEAR SIR Yours Of the 18th is received,
and as you are only one of many who have
applied for my experience and solicited my
opinion on the application Of concentrated
manures to wheat, perhaps it may be wise to
adopt your suggestion and make one letter
answer all. But first must say you great,
ly oyerrate my knowledge Of agriculture.
Busted as have been with another pur-
suit, il has been in my power to give only
the odds and ends of time to farming, and
the utmost have learned Of this most noble
and useful Of secular occupations is, the NOR
tifying fact that know nothing, and have yet
the alphabet OF agriculture to learn. True
have made some hap,hazard experiments,
some rich, others very poor in results. But
to the experiment with Peruvian Guano and
Mapes's Improved Super Phosphate Of Lime
My memorandum under date Oct. Q, $50,
runs as follows: .Sowed ON measured acre
OF ground $50 pounds Mapes's Improved So.
per Phosphate Of Lime, mixed with six bu-
shells Of scrapings from coal pit, and at an
interval Of three feet $50 pounds Peruvian
guano mixed with 81 pecks Plaster of Paris,
aud ploughed both in with one horse plough.
The soil deep red clay, uery, and as nearly
as possible, equally poor. Had brought very
poor oats in 1851. and been pastured till Al
gust 1852, when it was ploughed deeply with
a two-horsc plough; and again this week
| Oct. 10th. Sowed one bushel early purple
straw wheat on each acre, covering with ex-
panding cuItiyator. Whitewashed the seed,
with saturated solution of saltwater and
lime, consistency Of thin cream, and dried
with ashes
AT that time the Super Phosphate Of Lime
| was $50 per ton, Guano $40. The result
was such that preferred the former. Now
the former can be had at the factory Of Fred.
McCready. New York, who makes it by
Prof. Mapes's recipe, at s45, in quantities
not less than tentons. Carriage about so cts.
per ton. Freight to Norfolk about sl:50 per
ton in large quantities and in sail vessels
considerably lower. Insurance in August
when il should be orlere,l1 merely nominal.
have inquired Of Mr.. McCready on what
terms he will deliver at Norfolk in large
quantities. When advised you shall be in
formed. The price is $50 per ton at the fac.
tory for any quantity under 10 tons.
The Denitrogenized Super Phosphate ma.
nulactured at the establishment, and compos.
ed Of half Improved Super Phosphate and half
dried aud ground buIlocks' blood. is the same
price, and pronounced by Prof. Mapes 'much
superior for general purposes have not
tried It yet, but had two tons shipped on the
9th inst.
IL the citizens Of Orange and Alamance
incline to try Professor Mapes's manure, il
would be wise to form company, and order
the whole at one time. have no object tion
10 being the organ.
| am experimenting with sundry other con-
centratcd manures on corn this season, on a
small scale. The result if of any value, will
be reported in due time.
i applied last Fall one bag ll60 pounds) TO
the acre, leaving two lands untreated for expe.
riment; one on deep red clay OF loose porous
character, the other Of close grayell texture
yellowish clay. Though the season throughout
was extremely unfayorable TO the yelopment
Of the manure. yet judging BY comparison, the
crop was tripled. My harvest began on the
llth inst. Wheat. except the two lands un-
treated and some rich spots also unmanured.
abundantly ripe. forgot to state that the
Improved Super Phosphate hastens maturity
ten days, Guano seven.
You ask nv Judgment on The comparative
value Of the two manures; and presume you
anticipate the answer. Let be understood,
however, that my experiment was on clay
land. Perhaps Guano Is better on sandy land,
such as yours.
One word more. The Improved Super
Phosphate of Lime does no harm 10 any kind
OF seed BY contact, and may be very conye-
niently sowed by mixing with il an equal
quantity Of moist earth Of any kind well pull
verized. Guano, think. should always be
mixed with large percentage Of Plaster Of
Paris, or charcoal dust, or both.
Very respectfully your obd't sery't,
wM. ]. BINGHAM.
i IS. The Improved Super Phosphate Of
Lime exhibited equal superiority over GuanC
in the succeeding crop Of corn. and is, ! am