Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-15

Of the most valuable fertilizers known
to the world has recently been sub
mitted to the Peruvian government by
Senior Larrabure Correa, an official
who was appointed to study the matter.
Guano is produced on islands off the
coast of Peru in enormous quantities,
and a continuance of the supply is
of great importance not alone to agri-
culture in that country, but in many
others also, to which large quantities
are exported.
The impression has prevailed, says
the author of the communication, that
this extremely precious resource is
a finished formation, like coal bed.
Both the Peruvian government and
the persons whom it licenses to OBJ
tain the product have hitherto gone
ahead on that assumption, regardless
of the possibility Of fresh deposits
by the birds. He remarks:
When one sees one thousand tons
of new guano of the highest grade
taken from an area of twelve thou
sand square metres (scarcely more
than as many square yards), where
the birds have been nesting for much
less than one year; when one OBJ
serves on neighboring island an
area five times greater completely
covered with birds at their nests;
when one later finds this latter flock
increased by nearly so per cent. as
ha irJ Jr,iv
er islands-with such convincing APP
peals to the eye and the mind one
will not fail to recognize the present
producing value of the birds.
According to Senior Larrabure
Correa, Peru alone needs forty thou
sand tons year, and the present out
put sometimes falls below that
amount. He therefore fears that the
supply may be exhausted in time,
and that a shortage may soon be
created unless another policy is
adopted He advises that the new
guano, as well as the old, be taken,
and that measures be adopted to pro-
tect the birds, lest by their eXtinc-
ton the goose which lays the golden
egg, so to speak, will be killed. Hith-
erto it has been customary to regard
the birds as wild animals, which
might be disturbed and even slaught-
cred regardless of consequences. II
they were treated more like domestic
creatures, or, at least, as species of
game which should be kept from ex-
tinction, the result would be more
fortunate. By the robbery of their
eggs, by being driven from their
nests and by the killing of both young
and DID, the number of the useful
birds, especially the alcatras, has per-
ceptibly diminished.
Something has already been done,
but apparently not enough. One of
the islands of the Chinchas group
(the southern), was closed last year
by a government order, and the pro-
duction there increased. The north
island, once a favorite resort of the
alcatras. has been nearly abandoned
by them. In another group, the Lobos
dc Afuera, operations by contractors
were discontinued for some reason
about three or four years ago. The
birds, were thus permitted to multi
ply and make fresh deposits. Last
year the contractors began work there
again, and the birds were driven away
completely
The first new measure which Senior
Larrabure y Correa recommends is
that hereafter only one contractor be
permitted to work in a particular
field. Hitherto, when two or three
were licensed, each was eager to get
ahead of his rivals. He would dig
up the guano into piles, thus insuring
due regard to his rights by other con-
tractors, but sacrificing the nests
there, frightening off the old birds
and sacrificing the young which were
too small to fly The opinion is ex-
pressed by the special commissioner
who has investigated the subject that
if only a single contractor was allow
ed to operate on a particular island,
he would be more deliberate and show
more regard for the birds. He goes
corporation be given exclusive privi-
leges, the result would be still better.
Another step which the commission
er deems essential is the closing of
more islands for several years, and
working them in rotation. Simultane-
Gus operations on all he regards as
extremely bad policy. A closed sea-
son OF few months has already been
established by law (from November
to March, inclusive of both months),
but Senior Larrabure Correa thinks
this is too short.
The main question to be solved, the
commissioner believes, is how the
production of the largest amount of
guano in the future may be assured
twenty years hence, for instance
but there are several minor problems
also to be solved. He adds:
A government bureau for the ana
lysis Of guano might be established,
in order to give to the small agri-
culturist the same advantage which
the larger haciendas now enjoy, name
ly, OF buying the guano by analysis.
/ have known cases of the adultera-
ton of guano by sand, for the SIM
pie reason that the guano so reduced
in quality could be sold by the con-
tractor at the same price as a guano
of higher grade. The price to all farm
ers. large or small. should be directly
proportional to the value of the guano
in the fertilizing elements as shown
by analysis. The matter of having de-
posts of guano on shore has some
times been suggested. This might
serve to expedite the extraction of
guano on the islands, so that they
could earlier be abandoned to the
birds, even if the fertilizer could not
be sold and delivered at once The
shore deposits might be. utilized to
eQualize the annual supply, and they
might serve as the basis for mixing
stations, should this prove practicable.
where guanos of any desired strength