1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



255 



one. As soon as the snow is off the ground and 

 the frost bef:;ins to come out, J3 the best time to 

 apply it. Another application of from 150 to 200 

 lbs. maybe given in midsummer, directly after the 

 first mowing. Care shonhl be taken to do this just 

 before a rain, (r.) Grass lands may be top-dressed 

 jn the fall ; but in that case, much of the Guano 

 is likely to Ixi -washed off by the h^vy rains and 

 lost. We recommend applying it at the rate of 

 200 to 300 lbs. per acre, on land just seeded with 

 grass. This should be done just previous to har 

 roMing and rolling. 



When sward land is to be plowed for a crop, it 

 may be top-dressed with Guano previous to plow- 

 ing, and then be turned under the sod. It will 

 warm and hasten the decomposition of the sod, and 

 afford food for the crop about the time the grain 

 or fruit is filling, and thus add largely to the pro 

 duct. 



WHEAT, RVE, BARLEY, OATS, &C. 



On winter wheat and rye, spread broad-cast 

 from 200 to 300 lbs. of Guano, per acre, just be- 

 fore the plant commences growing in tlie spring. 

 If applied in the fiill, unless on very poor soil, it is 

 apt to give the crop too rank a growth before win- 

 ter sets in. On spring wheat, rye, barley, oats, 

 &e., spread the same quantity at the time of sow 

 ing, and harrow it in with the seed. If this be 

 not convenient, it may be applied within a week 

 or fortnight after the grain appears above gr-iind. 

 Caution must be used about applying too much on 

 the small grain crops, otherwise it will be likely 

 to promote too rank a growth and occasion smut. 



INDIAN CORN. 



For this crop, Guano may be spread broad-cast 

 upon the land, the same as for wheat; but it is 

 better to apply it directly to the hill. Hollow out 

 the hill with the hoe, put in about a tablespoonful 

 of Guano, cover it over one and a half to two inch- 

 es deep with soil, and then sow the seed and cover 

 up. If the corn be sowed in drills, furrow out 

 lightly with a (me-horse plow, then apply the Gua- 

 no as in. hills, and cover it with the hoe or other 

 implement. At the first time hoeing, put double 

 the above quantity of Guano around the hill, and 

 hoe it in, taking particular care that it does not 

 touch the stalks, otherwise it will be very likely to 

 kill them. If this can be done just before a rain, 

 so much the better. Some apply Guano again just 

 as the corn is ready to tassel and fruit, but we 

 should hardly think this necessary, except in very 

 poor soil. If more than the above quantity be ap- 

 plied to corn, it must be planted extra wide apart, 

 otherwise the growth will be so large as to make 

 the stalks and leaves intermix and produce smut. 



Potatoes, Tomatoes, Sugar Cane, Tobacco, Cot- 

 ion, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and some other crops, 

 may be treated nearly in the same manner as 

 corn. 



PEAS, BEANS, TURNIPS, BEETS, C.-IRROTS, PARSNIPS, 

 AND ONIONS. 



If these are sown broad-cast, apply the Guano 

 in the same way as directed to wheat ; if in drills, 

 as directed with corn, except ic might not be best 

 to cover the Guano with over one to one and a 

 half inches of soil in the drill, and then sow the 

 seed. 



ASPARAGUS AND CELERY. 



It is a good top-dressing for these early in the 

 spring. 



MELONS, CUCUMBERS, SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS, 



Treat to Guano the same as corn, in the hill, 

 allowing an even tablespoonful for each plant to be 

 left to run to vine. 



STRAWBERRIES, R.\SPBERRIES, CURRANTS, GRAPE- 

 VINES, 



And indeed all fruits, may have Guano dug in 

 about the small roots, e&rly in the spring. 



APPLE, PEAR, PEACH, CHERRY, PLUM, QUINCE, AND 

 OTHER FRUIT TREES. 



Guano not only adds to the size, and foir, plump 

 appearance of all fruits, but is said to increase the 

 delicacy of their flavor. It should not be applied 

 around the body of the tree unless it be a very 

 small one, but to the extreme ends of the roots, 

 otherwise it cannot be absorbed, and of course 

 will be nearly all lost. Roots of trees spread un- 

 der ground aljout the same distance from the 

 trunk, as the branches do above ground. Let the 

 soil be well trenched from one to three feet wide, 

 according to the size of the tree, directly under 

 the circle formed by the ends of the branches, and 

 the Guano then be incorporated with the soil, 

 within a few inches of the top of the rootlets ; it 

 will thus find its way to their mouths, and as it 

 uecouipuses be taken up in the sap fur Lhe beueflt 

 of the tree and its fruit. If applied later than 

 May or June, it will make a large, soft, spongy, 

 growth vi u/uipenul wood ol no >ulue vvLalevei'. 



STEEPS AND LIQUID FOR WATERING PL.VNTs'i 



For one pound of Guano use 5, 10, or even 20 

 gallons of water ; or at the same rate for a small- 

 er proportion. Stir it up well and cover over the 

 vessel tight, so as to prevent the escape of the 

 ammonia, and let it remain from one to three days 

 before being used. Now wntev around {not upon) 

 the plants as occasion may require. If this liquid 

 touches the plant, it is apt to burn it. Previous 

 to watering, stir the earth well around the plant. 

 One pound of Guano for 20 gallons of water may 

 be thought to make a very xccak steep for water- 

 ing plants, but such is not the fact ; we have seen 

 the most surprising results from watering with a 

 a steep no stronger than this. Some of our friends 

 last year steeped their corn and other grain in this 

 liquid, from 3 to 25 hours previous to planting. — 

 It came up unusually thick and grew very rapidly. 

 For steeps we would recommend 10 to 20 gallons 

 of water to each pound of Guano, using the latter 

 quantity for the more delicate seeds. It is so pow- 

 erful a substance, there is great danger of its kill- 

 ing the embryo of the seed, if applied in too strong 

 doses. The phosphate of lime and magnesia in 

 the Guano are insoluble in water ; the sediment 

 therefore is valuable to spread on the land. 



TO THE LADIES. 



Guano is very easily applied by you, and in the 

 neatest possible manner, to your conservatory and 

 garden plants. Purchase a neat keg of it contain- 

 ing about 60 lbs., have a hole bored in the head, 

 into which insert a stopper. Now place the keg 

 on its side as if to draw liquor out of it. Then as 

 often as you wish to use the Guano, take out the 

 stopper and draw out what is necessary from the 

 keg with an iron rod flattened and slightly crooked 

 at the end. Now make a liquid of it as described 

 above, or with a trowel, dig a small quantity of it 

 in the earth, around the plant. This, says Mr. 



