MONTHLY 



JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



APRIL, 1846. 



GUANO: 



ITS f^ATURE AND USE. 



BY PROFESSOR ILiRDY, OF VA. 



[ E^ The following article, from the pen of Professor Hardy, we deem of snflBcient importance 

 to occupy the first place in the AgricuUnral Journal for the present month. The nature and qual- 

 ities of different kinds of Manures are attracting the attention of intelligent fanners at the present 

 time, to an extent qmte unknov/n in the previous agricultural history of our country. Especially 

 is this remark true of Guano — the peculiar properties of ■which, together with the experiments 

 which have heen made and the results ascertained by its use in tlie United States and elsewhere, 

 are so ably and lucidly set forth by Mr. Hardy in the following pages : ] 



To J. S. Skinner, Esq. — 



Sir : The attention of our agricultural com- 

 munity has been specially directed, v/ithin a 

 year or two past, to the use of Guano as a ma- 

 nure, but no decisive results, it seems, have yet 

 been obtained in this couutvj-. It may, perhaps, 

 be useful now, before another crop is planted, 

 to review the subject and ascertain, if possible, 

 what has been done and what may be expect- 

 ed. I design, at the present time, to bring to- 

 gether, in as short space as possible, the most 

 important facts known respecting this substance, 

 and to add any suggestions which may be pre- 

 sented. 



In 1806, Bonplace and Humboldt delivered 

 to MM. Van(iuelin and Fourcroy a specimen 

 of Peruvian Guano for analysis. They found 

 that it contained 25 per cent, of uric acid com- 

 bined with ammonia and potassa ; also oxalate 

 of ammonia, sal ammoniac, o.xalate of potassa. 

 phosphates of potassa and lime, chloride of po- 

 tassium, fatty matter and sand. Since these re- 

 OSS | 



suits were published, several analyses have 

 been attempted ; and we shall place before the 

 reader, in the following tables, such accounts as 

 we have in hand. We place first the analyses 

 of Volkel, Klaproth and Bartels. 



Substtmces. Volkel. Klaproth. Bartels. 



Urate of ammonia 90 16 3-244 



Oxalate of ammonia 106 IS^.")! 



Oxalate oflime 70 12-75 16-360 



Phosphate of ammonia... 60 6-250 



Phosphate of ammonia ) q.^ . ,n(^ 



and lime i " 



Sulphate of potassa 55 4-227 



Sulphate of soda 3-8 1119 



Pho.ophate of soda 5 291 



Uydrochlorate of am'onia, 4-2 C-500 



Phosphate of lime 14-3 1000 9 940 



Clav and sand 4-7 3200 5-800 



Common salt 005 0100 



Cereal matter (wax) 600 



Alumina 0104 



Loss, including ammo- > 



nia, organic matter, \ 323 28-75 S2-918 



and water ) 



Total 10000 99-55 100000 



Mr. Hennell, of Apothecaries' Hall, England, 

 has analyzed Guano, and his results are given 



