Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1856-01-10
agrirultural,
From the Philadelphia Saturday Ev Post
VENEZUELAN GUANO.

| VENEZUELAN GUANO.
| We have recently been informed of the
discovery of extensive deposits of guano on
the islands of the Caribbean Sea, belonging
and under the Jurisdiction oss the Republie
of Venezuela AS the value of guano, as a
fertilizing agent, is becoming more known
and appreciated, every year must largely in
crease its consumption, and any additional
discovery of the article cannot but be regar-
ded as of the utmost Importance to the far
mer, as tending to increase the supply and
lessen its price We therefore present to
our agricultural readers such facts concern
ing this discovery as are in our possession.
The islands on which these deposits exist
are situated few degrees north of the E.
quator, and only nineteen hundred miles
from our chief Atlantic ports, so that the
cost of transporting it will be trifing, COM
pared with the cost of bringing the article
from the islands in the Pacific Ocean. 1t
is estimated that the amount of guano on
the islands referred to, exceeds five millions
of tons, of excellent quality Some of the
deposits contain a very large per centage of
ammonia while in that of others the super
phosphate Of lime predominates, with but a
small amount of ammonia. An analysis
made by Professor Booth, of sample, gives
7S per cent. of super phosphate of lime,
which is nearly fifty per cent. CRATER than
that obtained from bone dust Agricultu-
raj chemistry has proven the fact, beyond
controversy, that phosphate of lime is the
most essential element entering into the
construction of vegetable matter. Iti we'll
ascertained that plants derive their nourish-
ment from the atmosphere and soil. The
atmosphere furnishes carbonic acid, ammo
mia, and combination of nitrogen and wa
ter. The former serve in the gaseous form,
and water in the fluid, to sustain the plant
after it has acquired leaves. The soil re-
ceives with the rain, snow, hail, &C., car
bonic acid and ammonia, by which the plant
sustains it's growth through its roots, until
it can provide for it's future wants through
it's many -mouthed leaves.
The soil in addition to its supplies from
the air, contains within itself an inexhaus-
tible supply of carbonic acid and ammonia,
from the slow decay of its humus (wood f.
bre) and the countless myriads Of insects and
vegetable remains. But the matters which
the soil sometimes does and sometimes does
not furnish, are indispensable and should
these materials not be present, they must
be supplied artifcially, or exhaustation fol-
lows. These are the various inorganic bo-
dies, the mineral alkalis and salts. With
out particularizing further it is conceded
that of all the alkaline salts most indispen-
sable for plants designed for the food of men
and animals, the most necessary constituent
which is required in the largest quantity,
and for which the smallest provision exists
in the soil for reproducing it, is the phos-
phate of lime, the Importance of which sub
stance may be estimated, when we consider
that animals contain it as vital constitu-
ent, and its secretion in the bones forms o.
yer ninety per cent of the solid weight. In
the absence Of phosphates, no blood, no
milk, no muscular fibre, could be formed :;
without phosphate Of lime, our horses, sheep