The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1881-10-03
FARM NOTES

7sy54trvssss'
PERUVIAN GUANo.-"How doel
Peruvian guano injure the soil? il
a question often asked as farmers
and yet, while it is considered injuri
GUS by some, on the contrary it has
its advocates who deny any bad effects
from its use. The difficulty is in the
use Of it. Used alone it is very in.
furious. 1t will certainly increase
the yield of all kinds of grain OF
vegetables for season, but after that
reaction takes place and the soil is
poorer.
The reason why soils are injured is
this !: Nearly all plants require GER
tain proportions Of ammonia, pbos-
phoric acid, potash and lime. Am
monia exerts a peculiar stimulating
effect on the soil, and even on crops
that require but little nitrogen in
their composition, will show wonder
fully. By applying ammonia to our
crops, by some unknown process it
compels the plants to take from the
soil the potash, phosphoric acid, etc,
in greater degree. Tho ammonia
also, at the same time, causes chem
ical change by rendering soluble and
available substances that are complete.
ly locked up because Of their insol-
utility, and the vigorous growth thus
forced on the plants impoverishes the
soil SO that, when the crop is harvest
ed, it will no doubt be larger than
usual, but at the expense Of slim
ulated, overworked soil. But if when
We apply guano we at the same time
supply the growing crops with other
necessary substances to their growth,
we will reap not only greater benefit
from the guano, es we'll as more than
receiving back their cost, but the soil
will be left at harvest time in a con-
dition equal to that at the time of
seeding.
Now, while in the labratory we can
discover but little regarding this
mysterious agent, ammonia, We are
often able to note its workings on the
farm by experiments. For instance,
both potash and ammonia are alkalies,
and it is scarcely to be supposed that
they are affected by each other, but
if a quantity Of finely crushed bones
are alternately mixed with unlesched
wood ashes and kept damp the potash
will change the bone into paste, and
if We try the same experiment by
adding to the bones little pure
barnyard manure, nitrate of soda or
guano-aDything that will give of
ammonia--we can notice that the
action is fastened by the addition of
the guano. What particular duty is
performed by the ammonia in such
case cannot be explained, but that it
does perform q service, both in the
manure heap and 10 the soil outside
Of Its functions of furnishing food for
plants, can be established by several
methods. We are certain that it will
improve crops that show but little
nitrogen in their composition, even
on the poorest class Of soils, and it
could not possibly do this unless it
had the property of rendering SUBJ
stances soluble that are even beyond
the reach, not only Of lime, but Of the
acids in certain cases.
This being the fact, guano should
be used in connection with other fer
tilizing material. To give plants
nitrogen (the article we really buy in
guano), and nothing else, is equiva-
lent to feeding horse on corn alone
The corn 10, Of course, heating, but
the system needs something more.
So it Is with the soil. We must
supply everything that it requires if
We expect to exercise high farming,
and this, with good cultivation,
insures success,