Kg manure. 



acid, called uric acid, which gradually affords ammonia, after 

 these the bone earth of guano, gives it a permanent effect. 

 The volatile matter acts in the earlier stage of vegetation. 

 It is continually escaping. Hence, fresh fallen guano is 

 always best. It is probably like the recent droppings of the 

 present race of fish-eating birds. These consist almost 

 wholly of uric acid. The excrement of the sea eagle gave 

 in the 



Solid Evacuations. Liquid Evacuations. 



Ammonia, .... 9.20 



Uric acid, 84.65 



Phosphate of lime, . . 6.13 



Uric acid, .... 59. 

 Other salts, . . . 41. 



100.00 100. 



Compared with these, guano contains ^ to y of its original 

 organic elements. No manure yields more substances for 

 the wants of plants, in all stages of their growth, than guano. 



Guano is an article of commerce. There are three varie- 

 ties known in trade. The white, the dark gray, the red 

 brown, which is the most common. The white is the most 

 recent, the red brown the most ancient, and decomposed, 

 the gray intermediate. The actual money value of guano to 

 the farmer, in England, where it is now extensively used, 

 does not exceed |5 per cwt. The price has fallen at the 

 present time to about |2.50 per cwt. Beyond this, practical 

 men, who have used it, say that the farmer cannot afford to 

 employ it. Mr. Blake thinks it may be afforded for 1 J cent. 

 per pound, delivered in the United States. It is much used 

 in Peru, where a spoonful is applied to each hill, as soon as 

 the corn shows itself. The effects are what the most san- 

 guine could expect, from this natural, concentrated poudrette, 

 consisting both of salts and geine. Allowing, as has been 

 asserted, that the land itself in Peru, contains not a particle 



