Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-12-24
,farl,l 4 fireside.

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one hundred and ten Thousand dollars
Sers. in the last ninety dsys-Does their
use pay the fArraerf
MgssRs. EDITORS The above question
has been asked perhaps thousand times,
and from the facts stated at the head oil TINS
article, any superficial observer would be
led to answer 1t in the negative; butte prac-
iical farmers who have been conversant win
both the old and new system Of agriculture
as practiscd in this county, it has been pam
ly demonstrated that the discovery and IN
PRODUCTION of Peruvian Guano and the many
successful substitutes that followed II, were
among the greatest blessings ever conferred
not only upon the agricrlturists OF this coun-
tv but the entire community connected there
with. By their use our land has been I'M
proyed and our crops increased, enabling the |
farmers to employ more labor, bay more |
goods and better implements, furnishing en-
ployment to skilled as well as unskilled la
Dor. largely increasing the business of car
riers both by water and rail,-by the import
of fertilizers and export of increased crops
of grain, fruit and vegetables.
Without these manures it would have
been next to impossible to have grown the
many thousand peach and other fruit trees
that are fourishing here; and instead OF the
luxuriant field of purple-tinted clover, and
the forty-acre field of golden grain inviting
the sickle of these farmers, We would nave
had hundreds and thousands of acres either
exposing their barren surface 10 the sun, or
oyergrown in worthless broom sedgei but
by their use our land has been made to pro-
luce fair crops of grain, roots aud grass, en-
abling us to keep more and better cattle and
increasing the comforts Of the farmer gen
orally
Now. these are assertions, and assertions
only, which are mnre easily made than
proved. though they are patent 10 any one
familiar with the history of this county. If,
however, there are any who doubt thea, let
them take drive Of ten miles in almost any
direction: even three mile drive from
Dover TO Camden. think they may have
their doubts removed. On one side of The
road may be seen land in the last stage o
decline Just about "a most others were thirty
years ago. on the opposite side Of the foal
land no better naturally, but now improved
yielding large crops Of grain, grass, &c
What has made this difference: Some havl
plodded along in the do-nothing system,
It may be called system, starving thei
land and starving themselves. The other
have awaited themselves Of the benefits 9
modern science in agriculture. By iudciol
system of rotation and manure, feeding ihei
land as an intelligent man would feed ii
horse when overworked, by giving MOI
pounds of oats than he draws oil. y suii
cient amount OF barnyard manure for til
purpose being out Of the question, or una
tainable on the farm: they avail themsey
of the next best thing by the use OF Per
Wan guano for first crops, followed by lin
clover and superphosphate Of lime, al
these all combined have almost work
miracles, causing the once barren fields
literally blossom as the rose, and amc
groan with their abundance But TODD Il
it has cost many thousands. and here I
question arises does it pay:
gle crop have cost the farmers Of Kent col
" alone, one hundred and ten thousand d
lars and that too in the fall Of lsGS, vii
money was exceedingly scarce here: sucl
the fact which may be satisfactorily Prov
Feeling little curiosity 10 know the amol
sold in the county, and believing it mi!
be interesting to others and perhaps use
q '
letter to each dealer in the county,
which have received replies from the
lowing gentleman who gave the amount
pended as their sales for the wheat crop n
in the ground
AT Frederlca, Messrs Anderson y /
l5o tons; Hall & Green 200; Smithers 4
l3o-iso tons making from this small tc
alone. four hundred and eighty tons.
cost TO the farmers of this vicinity oftwe
i've thousand four hundred and eighty
lars.
At Dover, Messrs. Mcdaniel 4 steven
40 tons; $. D. Megonegel ~
At Magnolia, Messsrs Van Butkaluw
Wharton 1870 tons.
At Fredonia, Mr.. Henry Cowgcll - &
Al I.eipsic, Fennimore, Denny and
cfs 1ol.
Al Milford, {. : Watson and other,
AT Felton, james Il. Conner 2i9
The above are the only places from "
| have received replies. l Twill therefore
to assume or guess at the amount sol
other places, but will put il below Til
tual sales at places Of corresponding bus
capacities. Smyrna though in a highly
proved section, nevertheless, has
enough within its business circle that "
be benefited by the use Of as much fert
as was sold at Frederick, but to be u
bounds put Smyrna at 100 tons Can
100; Wyoming. 100: Little Creek Lam
100; Canterbury, @: Harrington,
amounting in the aggregate to invent,
hundred and twenty-three tons, (2.l2
could have given the amount sold Of
Article, but am moi writing an advertiser
The phosphates were sold on an avera
about $50 the guano at higher figures
have put the whole at So. Assumin!
amount Of sales to be correct, the c.
the articles to the farmers Of this q
would be one hundred and ten thol
three hundred and ninety Six dollars. :
$3.50 No insignificant sum 70 US, cspe
when coupled with the much greater al
lost by the failure Of the peach crol
the partial failure OF the wheat crops
amount is drawn directly from here for
are cash articles for which the farmer
lay down the cash on delivery or lose Ii
dit and the money is sent 10 the gre,