320 Extracts from the Journals. [April, 



cation was made when the grain was a foot or more in height; 

 the earth was drawn away from the hill, and about three spoons- 

 ful thrown in. It was not placed near the stem, but five inches 

 or more from it; the trench made by the hoe, was three or four 

 inches in breadth and a half to two inches deep. The whole was 

 then profusely watered. The product is stated to have been much 

 beyond that which received no guano. Besides these, we know 

 of no experiments made on corn. We cannot appeal to England 

 here; but if this manure is to be used on this, our staple, more 

 experience must confirm its value, and the judgment of our own 

 people direct its application. On grass and clover, the greatest 

 satisfaction has been expressed as to this manure. It has been 

 tried on different soils; at Germantown, Massachusetts, and Ches- 

 ter county; in each of these districts the benefit has been very 

 marked. So far as the experiments in the latter region go, the 

 result was very remarkable, when the season is considered. They 

 were made without any experience but that of British farmers to 

 direct; the result was most satisfactory; and the question presents 

 itself — if this material can produce such excellent effects during 

 a season so entirely unfavorable as the last summer, how much 

 more considerable would they have been in one of more rain? 

 On the potato, it will be seen from the account of the experiments 

 made in East Bradford, published in the Farmers' Cabinet of 

 September, that the action of the guano was very marked. Those 

 plants cultivated with it came up the first, and grew far more ra- 

 pidly than the others, which had only barn-yard manure. The 

 crop of turnips was also much increased, or rather, it should be 

 said, was supposed to be — as there was no other ground manured 

 in any other way and sown with that vegetable, it is impossible 

 to make any comparative estimate. We have in this superficial 

 and unsatisfactory way, given all the positive knowledge we 

 possess. By others, this manure has been tried on peas, melons, 

 strawberries, cabbages, cauliflowers, grapes, and hot-house plants, 

 successfully and satisfactorily in every case, but as they do not 

 belong to agriculture, it will not, perhaps, be thought worth while 

 to notice them more particularly. As to the mode of application 

 and quantity per acre, we must again fall back on the experience 

 of England. There it has been mixed with the usual light ma- 

 nures: ashes, plaster, charcoal, muck, &c., and used in quantities 

 from one hundred and fifty pounds the acre, to four hundred: in 

 one case, we think as much as six hundred were put on. Our 

 impression is, that it is as well to apply it alone, for two reasons; 

 one that you then know to what to attribute the condition of your 

 crop; the other, that being an extremely sensitive article, it is 

 impossible to tell how far it may have been effected by its com- 

 panion. Changes and decompositions may be produced that 



