The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-05-24


Society, Washington, D. C.)
Peru, already Of considerable agri-
cultural importance and destined to
become much more 80, is fortunate In
having one Of the most valuable
sources Of natural fertilizer In the
world-its famous bird islands" Oh
which thousands Of tons Of guano are
deposited In sort Of annual crop.
These deposits. rich in precious nitro
gen have been laid down on the IS
lands for thousands Of years, and un-
I'll recently there seemed well-nigh
lnexhaustible mine Of the material. But
the tremendous world demand which
arose near the middle Of the past
century brought in Its train wastetul
methods, and all the accumulated de-
posts have been stripped away. The
annual accumulations are still avail
able, however, and are worth many
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars.
Peru's peculiar geographical condi-
lions make possible the preservation
Of her valuable guano crop" A few
showers might wash away the valua-
BILE fertilizer, but thanks TO its noun
tain masses, its very cold of-shore
waters and Its prevailing winds. the
region Of the Bird islands Is rainless.
Guano, 1t will be understood. Is pri-
narily the deposit Of ish-eating birds,
/ into which may be mixed and incor-
porated-in greater or less proportion
, "a variety of other substances, such
! rs the eggs and bodies of birds and
the deposits and the bodies of sea
Hons. 1t may be found mixed with
gravel and sand In very small pro
portion or sometimes to an extent
rendering II Improbable TO extract.
Peruvian Guano 10 Best
"Peruvian guano" is practically
synonymous with heterogeneous guanc
and has long been recognized as the
hest nitrogenous fertilizer-that is, a;
a fertilizer of generally high nitrogen
value in which the nitrogen com
hounds are found in condition most
readily assimilable by our plants.
Nitrogen is primary necessity t'
the farmer. Whatever be the impor
lance of adding to the soil potash ant
other mineral components OF our 1oo'
and our clothing, there never exists
donh, as TO the fundamental impor
; tsnce of nitrogen. Consequently a pc
cnliar interest attaches TO birds OF TIT
Peruvian islands, which have loh'
served TO aid the worlds agricui'uF'
and which, given due protection ma
continue indefinitely TO contribute ma
torislly TO the support OF humanity.
The peculiar climatic conditions pre-
!. ,.,onslv mentioned offer merely IN
, proper environmental conditions tof IA
c preservation of the product. The pr
/. mary requisite for abundant BIRD III
a - The existence of plentiful 700
1 SUNNY and this is found in the scloel
. Of small fish. called anchooe'as. .ha
!. swarm In the Peruvian current liner
shoals Of fish, acres In extent. at
. often pursued in the water oS ootiI. .
, snd other large fish. while beset iFo'
J the air by thousands OF e'1oS ,
p;,,Ions Of pounds Of fish must
assumed each year by the BIRDS d
s,ass the incalculable quantity a
~oured BY other fishes; ou' u
sscuudi,y Of the anchooetas IS sue
.sot their numbers are still maintain
J.. s ~ A. times grea, acres OF the Sc
r e. made red BY myr!ads OF smal
II LIGHTLY colored shrimp-like crus'aces
It md these. too. play pasl "a ~
e portance as food for Inc ns"e d"
- birds. MO. cu,oay,,
w., all Of the birds are OF eau
importance from the comme aa. r,1 pv,
ID ','p law indeed. three species vi!tu, =,
10 ., .,rnc,t the guano industry AZ !.
" sup ,ime-the white-oreast c.
n. p san, tcuansy). the big sra! peAe'
e md the whitehead gann ns.,,x,.r eos
ie '', Huanays cccuc on the Peruvian GOA
At .,om near the northern 10 ' ae, 80 q,
- 'io, ,,arn boundary, hut thelr ~
- sou'n SCUM, home is the double group
,slapds opposite rls'1 r., n, ,as
'"r Ths largest guanay aocSS az, arr ,'I :
II, ,ns Chincha islands, .pon
r. on "'t island OF the Chinchas' d sun
s so%' generally trisnsular n' sysa 81 the n
III s s,,u 20 and 80 acres IN area ons %, co
- -,osery which iT SIZE ,"
OF is . r'o". asr scarcely be ri'aisd
ID any part of the world oceupiss asc
Il. 4, al" the nesting ground mace oee't Of the
on two,'hira ,srs or ~ the crown and
ir land; e .,"nes Of the hill that su.n'.
OF its low blui walls