The Ordway new era., 1922-05-19

very uniformly spaced, averaging near
ly three to the square yard, and not n
yard of ground within the outside
limits OF the rookery is unoccupied.
In form and arrangement the nests ap-
pear as heavy rolled-rim basins stuck
into the hillside.
The guanay well deserves It's COM
mon name. Its gregarious habit, Its
cholce OF the level places or more
gentle slopes for nesting grounds, and
Its custom Of remaining on the is
lands great part of the time all COM
bine to cause the formation of enor-
nous deposits of guano, from which
there is little natural waste. In the
region where this bird Is most abun-
dant, about the Chinchas and Bal
lestas islands, the climate conditions
are most favorable to the preservation
Of the nltrates. 1t is doubtful If the
guano of the Chinchas and Ballestas
islands Is ever wet from atmospheric
moisture A pair of guanays, with
their offspring, produce nearly $1.50
worth of guano per year.
HOW the Work is Done.
The guaDo workers are practically
all Peruvians of the ancient stock, and
many of them come down from the
mountains to engage In this work.
Often there are few in the camp who
can speak Spanish and the foreman
can communicate with the employees
only by signs or through an interpre-
ter.
The extraction of guano is very
simple process. Where the material
is comparatively recent, the only i'm
plements required are the pick and
the shovel, a screen and few sacks.
The surface cake is first broken up
and thrown into small heaps. Where
several contractors have concession
from the government covering the
same island, there is much rivalry In
getting the best guano mounded, for
this is the only recognized method Of
establishing claim to particular
field.
The guano is subsequently pitched
through slanting wire screens to re-
move the gravel, and then sacked for
embarkation by lanchas, which are
strongly constructed lighters in the
form of rowboats, adapted for use in
the heavy swell liable to prevail about
the islands.
A very common method of convey
ing the guano to the lighter is by means
of the andarivel, an aerial trolley con-
sisting of two stout wire cables sus-
pended between frame ut the top OF
the island and some convenient rock
somewhat removed from the shore.
The boat is rowed beneath the lower
mart of the cable to receive the guano,
lowered by pulleys and windlass. both
ends of the line being attached 10
travelling pulleys, the sacks OF guaho'
descending by gravity, draw the empty
sacks back. No power is applied 10
the wipdlass except to prevent the
too-rapid descent of the guano. When
the lancha is loaded 1t is rowed out
IN the vessel, where the sacks are
hoisted into the hold.
A much more extensive equipment
Is found on the larger islands Oh 'he
north. An American company, con-
tracting for the Peruvian exporters
,,,s Ioid lines of track for conveying
tbe puano by tram-cars, and the screen
,no is done from trastles over a lower
level track. 80 tho
~, far the greatest portion OF the
,,,,ono that has been exported CON
Sisted of the ancient deposits ca'leu
"minerar" guano, which in places
covered the islands to great depths'
Trb;s has been simply stripped away
until scarcely any of the old guano re-
,no,ns except some of the lowest
cradles that scarcely justify e&porta-
tiOn. 80 ,,oss;b,,ity
If is within the bounds OF posslpi,i.s ~
thot additional deposits Durieo Ds
Meath the surface, may yet De ioeu'.u.
ITn,ess this be the case. the INDUSTRY
to permanently reduced to the annual
darosits. which scarcely exceed ti,e
se,mands Of Peruvian agriculture IN
..s nresent condition, without proViu-
IN. for the great future developments
~ s ,ana cultivation in that country
that must. follow sooner OF la.e. WV" srs.
the adoption Of more elaborate ''9
TENS Of irrigation. ,,.va
. T,bonph the important birds have
heen greatly reduced In numbers, s.,as ~
- oosonabie to expect a substahtia. !.
- - ,.ease nnder natural conditions II
,nterference with the breeding De re-
.. s..aad 20 the minimum consistent Will
the utilization Of the deposi's.