CULTIVATION. 17 



guano as a fertilizer of the first order for tobacco cultiva- 

 tion, and as light and sandy soils possess in themselves 

 the substances most suitable for the development of the 

 tobacco plant, on such soils guano acts as a stimulant to 

 the plant. 



" Before using Peruvian guano, it should be sifted ; all 

 the stones and lumps remaining should be broken up, and 

 again sifted, so that nothing may be lost. After this, 

 three or four times its weight of dry sandy soil should be 

 thoroughly mixed with it, and it should remain thus 

 6-8 days before being used. This preparation should be 

 made under cover, to avoid the possibility of rain falling 

 on the mixture, and the heap should be covered with the 

 empty guano bags, or anything else, to prevent the 

 evaporation of the volatile alkali which it contains. 



" It is better to prepare this mixture in detail, each heap 

 containing one bag of guano, whose weight is 150-160 

 lb., so as to facilitate the calculation of the quantity that 

 should be applied, and prevent mistakes. We will start, 

 therefore, on this calculation. 



" On lands of good quality, but which, nevertheless, 

 require manure, from having been overworked, one pound 

 of guano should be applied to each 15-20 superficial 

 yards, or, say one heap of compost for each 2500-3000 

 yards, or, otherwise said, one heap of manure will suffice 

 for a surface that contains 5000-6000 plants. 



" In sandy unproductive soil, and on sterile savannah 

 lands, 1 lb. of guano to 9-12 ;yards ; or a heap of compost 

 guano to 1500-2000 yards; or one heap for 3000-4000 

 plants. 



" These are the proportions to be used for the first year ; 



o 



