The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-05-18

prepared by the National Geographic
Society, Washington, ID. CO.
Peru, already of considerable agri-
cultural Importance and destined to
become much more so. is fortunate In
having one of the most valuable
sources Of natural fertilizer In the
wOrld-its famous bird islands on
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 I'M
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 It's train wasteful
methods, and all the accumulated de-
posits have been stripped away. The
annual accumulatlons are still avail
able, however, and are worth many
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars.
Peru's peculiar geographical condl-
lions make possible the preservation
Of her valuable guano "crop." A few
showers might wash away the valua-
bile fertilizer. hut thanks to Its noun
tain masses, Its very cold off-shore
waters and its prevailing winds, the
region Of the Bird islands is rainless.
Guano, It viii be understood, is pri-
marlly the deposit OF fish-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-
lions. II may be found mixed with
gravel and sand In very small pro-
portion or sometimes 10 an extent
rendering II improbable to extract.
Peruvian Guano ls Best.
Peruvian guano" Is practically
synonymous with heterogeneous guanO
and has long been recognized as the
best heterogeneous fertillzer-that Is, as
a fertilizer Of generally high nitrogen
value In which the nitrogen COM
pounds are found In a condition most
readily asslmllable by our plants.
Nitrogen Is u primary necessity to
the farmer. Whatever be the lmpOr-
lance Of adding to the soil potash and
other mineral compOnents of our food
and our clothing there never exists n
doubt as to the fundamental lmpor-
lance Of nitrogen. Consequently pc
| culiar interest attaches to birds OF the
Peruvian Islands, which have long
served to aid the worlds agriculture
and which, given due protection, may
continue indefinitely TO contribute ma
terially to the support OF humanity.
The peculiar climatic conditions pre-
vlously mentioned offer merely the
proper environmental conditions for the
preservation Of the product. The pri-
mary requisite for abundant bird life
is the existence of a. plentiful food
supply, and this Is found In the schools
of small FISH, called anchobetas, that
swarm In the Peruvian current. There
shoals OF fish, acres In extent, are
often pursued In the water by bonito
and other large fish, while beset from
the air by thousands of birds.
Billions Of pounds OF fish must be
consumed each year by the birds, be-
sides the lncalculable quantity de-
voured by other fishes but the
fecundity Of the anchobetas Is such
that their numbers are still maintain
ed. At times great acres Of the sea
are made red by myriads of small,
brightly cOlOred shrimp-llke crustacea
and these, too, play part OF i'm.
portance as food for the fishes and
birds.
islands Crowded With euanays.
Not all OF the birds are OF equal
Importance from the commercial point
Of view. Indeed, three species virtual.
W support the guano industry 1T the
Present tlne-the whlte-breast cor.
morant (guanay), the big gray pelican
and the whitehead gannet.
Guanays Occur On the Peruvian coast
from near the northern 10 the extreme
southern boundary, hut their pre-
eminent home Is the double group OF
Islands opposite Plsco In the South
the Chlnchas and the Ballestas.
The largest guanay fiocks are found
on the Chlncha islands. Upon the
south Island Of the Chlnchas, a small
AID generally triangular body of land
between 20 and 30 acres In area, there
Is rookery which for size and com
nac'ness can scurcely be riyaled In
any part ot the world,
The nesting ground occupies about
! two-thlrds Of the surface Of the Is
lana, embracing the crown and the
gentle slopes Of the hin that surmouni
i ltR 10y hitifi xuaila FNha naa4. -.