Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-27

"
e - gE@zs- las 4evsze-; - sl-SzS -
'hs Cai1ch& Is.xnss Z sa- s1zrA. =
sle e zxna5a- as I1s~~ - Ssw na-zs
a.. - sax2~ sxs~z4s g. s=&A4.sr l&-xzssss
All - tie =4-z-l&za- u - x~z-E4ly
co1ees-9 al gzG-s . ~ sr-zzzl4.s.l
excFeZeEi G b1r&s. wk4z& 40 Azzsa~w-
less rorSs iFc,S1.s-- tee-~ ss1a-zts-s
Aaes-s ae?1A-s wee t~z<-a<4y szpEs0-r5
. b<4o1E = . FzE-loGs ge1la-xlu4
sf0-sG -: rsSsEi stz-s s~e b1ssea4
% hsAf, Deeply IzA-33e,l = 49, s,zAza.
vel preserved rezzErs = tS1Esie hsrts
sGd osiser aEsaxAs az th= p.rr~sxst spSsa
Fer-er4y LIZ gE~<s - .-@e HezEk.@z
i>-AI1s w4s lntsr@21es wIfA tie TZ
naAts a s-zh- Ia~~r. k0xe-sr. have
f-eE - EsSa sGrs>l n ye8rs Ez4ss tkzs
they Eov veEt-Ee bzt slurt G4Ssaree
tn!And, An1 tie gu4ao EJw ace IN zlAi-
sbg 10 deposited almost eztErelv Nv
birds. The scale fEeaaezt ociy toe
: shores. caves, AID l0x rocks which are
washed bv the waves, ard where they
can quickly secure safety ey taking 20
the water. Formerly they iIAErled to
the very center, AMI cL1bei - the
highest points Of che islands, as is
shown by the deposits of their skins
| AID bones.
The name "guano" is derived from
the Peruvian iuaao, dung. DC of the
earlies; mentions -! tia word occurs
in u work written 10y Father Acosta,
q Jesuit priest, and published in Sc
vile in 1880. vi still older date than
this work are the Commentaries Of
the Incas," written by Garcilasso de la
Vega, who died in 1898. His mother
was an Indian princess, and his father q
Span!ard of good family. Garcilasso
gives very interesting account of the
manner in which the birds producing
the guano were protected by the laws
of the Incas, by which it was made a
crime punishable by death to kill the sea-
fowl, gather their eggs, or even to visit
the islands during the breeding season.
This writer then goes on to say Low
each island was divided by landmarks
apportioning it among the different
provinces of the kingdom, to- each Of
which was assigned the amount OF
guano to be used during the season.
He also greatly extols the fertilizing
properties of guano, but does not call
it by this or any other special name.
Guano is, of course, the only manure
used, by the .Peruvians, The govern.
ment, to which all the deposits belong,
allows those who require it for home
consumption to take what they may
need free Of any charges. In spite of
this, however, the agriculturists in
many of the interior parts of Peru have
to pay as, high a price for guano as it
commands in New York. The cause is
the difficulty Of transportation from the
coast. This is usually accomplished on
the backs of llamas or donkeys. Hum
of guano, and the sample analysed by
Fourcroy' and Vanquelin was sent to
France by that sayant in 1905. He
stated that the guano is deposited in
layers fifty to sixty feet thick upon the
granite of many offthe South Sea Is
lands off the coast Of Peru. During
tlrce hundred years the coast birds
have deposited guano only few lines
in thickness. ii, This shows how great
must have been the. number of birds,
and how many centuries must have
passed over in order to form the pres
emit guauo beds" tG.': ... uA -,..
About thirty years ago quantity of
guano was sent to England from Peru,
to test its value as merchantable arti-
Gle. It was consigned to commission
merchant, by whom it WAS placed in
the care of broker, who advertised 1t
and put it up at auction. Being I'M
known In the market, it found no bid
ders, and the commission merchant.
acting in the interest of his consignor,
ordered the entire lot to be thrown into
the Thames, to avoid storage and other
4 expenses. Later on, another sample of
guano was sent to England. On this
occasion, however, it was not offered
for sale, but was put into the hands of
agriculturists to test its qualities as a
manure. y" ."'!. .'' ,"'.
I The result Of this experiment may be
easily imagined. Wherever the guano
was used it gave the most ample proof
of its fertihzing qualities, and demand
Immediately sprang up, purchasers be-
ling found to take it at q sum equivalent
to 500 per ton. The parties who thus
became aware of the commercial value
of guano purchased from the Peruvian
governments. fox the sum of $40 900, the,
exclusive right of taking it from the
islands and exporting it to Europe.
They were not allowed to enjoy this
privilege long, however, for the Peru.
Wan government claimed the benefit Of
the law which authorized the recession
of any contract or sale when the value
Of the thing sold is greatly in excess of
the consideration given for it, After
this the government began the exporta-
ton of guano on its own account. This
was in 1912, and from the few thousand
tons that were ut first exported annual
ly, the amount increased to an immense
figure. Before our late war the impor-
tation of Peruvian guano into the
United States had reached $4,000 tons
per annum. the greater part being used
in the Southern States. At the begin
ming of the war this demand ceased, but
a. its close the trade at once revived,
though it has not yet reached its maxi
mum quantity. Some few years since
the right Of exporting guano was grant
ell to stock company, who still hold
/ this right, and whose agents are located
! IN the various ggano markets, and man
age the business.
The high price which gusno com
; rpapIaj .nnp lel N th@ arch for anal