No. 12. Guano as a manure. — Effects of Soap-suds on Cabbages. 367 



ley. Some sowed it by itself, broadcast, 

 others applied it in the drills, hills, &c. 

 Mixing it with pulverized charcoal, in the 

 proportion of one measure of guano to three 

 of charcoal, and sowing it broadcast, seems 

 to the writer, to be the best plan, unless a 

 watery solution should be preferred. The 

 quantity of guano applied to each acre, was 

 generally two hundred weight; but several 

 experimenters considered that a larger quan- 

 tity would have yielded more profitably, and 

 the result of experiment confirmed the opin- 

 ion. One writer concluded that eight hun- 

 dred weight might be applied to the acre 

 with advantage ; and that if more were ap- 

 plied, it would injure, if not destroy the crop 



There is one striking defect in all the re- 

 ports above referred to — not one of them 

 describes the kind of soil, whether stiff^ 

 sandy, or otherwise, on which their experi- 

 ments were made. Perhaps they supposed 

 that simply naming the kind of crop grown, 

 would indicate the kind of soil. It might 

 do so in England, but not in this country, 

 where every kind of crop is raised, or at 

 least attempted to be raised, on every kind 

 of soil almost. 



The crops to which guano was applied in 

 England, were wheat, rye, barley, oats, tur 

 nips, ruta-baga, Italian rye-grass, clover, 

 hops, and artificial grasses generally. The 

 produce of land manured with it, compared 

 with that on which other manures were ap 

 plied, was various in comparative amount, 

 but always exceeded that of all other ma- 

 nures. For example, a piece of land was 

 manured with guano, at the rate of two cwt. 

 per acre, and another with 18 loads of horse 

 manure per acre, both seeded with barley 

 at the same time. The produce was 10 per 

 cent, more from guano than from horse ma- 

 nure, and the latter was 50 per cent, more 

 costly. Another piece of land was manured, 

 one acre with six cwt. of bone dust, and an- 

 other with two cwt. of guano, and both 

 seeded in wheat. The product of the bone 

 dust was 38 bushels, that of the guano was 

 ■50 bushels one and a half pecks. Another 

 field was divided into four parts, to the first 

 was applied three cwt. per acre, of guano, 

 to the second three cwt. of nitrate of soda, 

 to the third 20 tons per acre, of farm-yard 

 manure ; the fourth was left without ma- 

 nure. The whole was seeded with Italian 

 rye-grass, and when harvested, the product 

 was as follows : 



Guano yielded, 14 tons, 15 cwt. 26 lbs. 

 Nitrate of soda, 14 " 13 " 37 " 

 Farm-yard manure, 13 " 2 " 90 " 

 Without manure, 7 " " 103 " 



The above examples are deemed sufficient 



to afford a fair view of the value ascribed to 

 guano in England, as they may be consi- 

 dered averages of a great number of results. 

 They may be sufficient to induce a trial of 

 the article in this country; for we must not 

 forget that many articles that have received 

 the highest commendation in England, have 

 proved worthless in this country. It is not 

 very easy to find a reason for this, but it is 

 true nevertheless. In nearly all the expe- 

 riments with guano, the results were very 

 nearly the same as those with nitrate of soda, 

 and in the very extensive one just above 

 given, it will be seen that the effects of the 

 nitrate of soda, were very nearly the same 

 as those of guano. Now so far as I have 

 been informed, the application of nitrate of 

 soda as manure, in this country, proved of 

 no value. A friend informed me a few days 

 since, that he had used it extensively, with- 

 out the slightest beneficial effect. So it ap- 

 pears that what is good manure in one coun- 

 try, may be perfectly inefficient in another. 

 On this subject, I will trouble you again 

 shortly. Gideon B. Smith. 



Baltimore, Feb. 13th, 1843. 



Effects of Soap-suds on Cabbages. 



I believe it will be a thankless piece of 

 service for one gardener to teach another 

 how to grow cabbages and cauliflowers, yet 

 as these crops of vegetables have failed this 

 season in various parts of the country, the 

 following notice may perhaps, be of use to 

 our cottage readers. Wherever soap-suds 

 have been used plentifully, cabbages and 

 cauliflowers have grown luxuriantly. I 

 have made several inquiries of others who 

 have used them, and in no one instance 

 have I heard of a failure where soap-suds 

 have been applied. I intend to try them 

 over brocoli,to see if they will prevent them 

 from clubbing. Others may do so likewise, 

 and make known the results. Whether the 

 alkali in the water has prevented the enemy 

 from destroying the roots, or given the roots 

 more vigor to resist the attack, I do not 

 know; but one thing is certain — where such 

 matter has been applied, it has produced the 

 most beneficial results. I think cottagers 

 may take a lesson from this, and save that 

 which would nourish their languishing crop, 

 for it is a pity to see a pool of filthy water 

 polluting the neighbourhood with its stench ; 

 while, within a few yards of it, the vegeta- 

 bles of a garden are dying of starvation. — 

 Gardener's Chronicle. 



If a man cheats you, quit dealing with 

 him; if he is abusive, quit his company; if 

 he slanders you, take care to live so that no- 

 bodv will believe him. 



