348 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



GUANO WITH PLASTER. LIME AND 

 ASHES. 



It has been a mooted question among farmers and 

 writers upon special manures, wliether guano mixed 

 with plaster, ashes or lime, loses any of its virtues as 

 a manure. 



Our Correspondent "H" of last week, has placed 

 this question at rest — by the most satisfactory expe- 

 riments. 



This article is of so much practical value that we 

 must quote that portion relating to it. 



" Guano kept in bags wastes on the same principle 

 that the Druggist loses his ammonia or hartshorn, if 

 the bottle is left ojien, and more rapidly if he pours 

 it out into a dish. 



" The smell of ammonia passing oft' is always pne- 

 sent, the closest cask therefore keeps it best. 



" Seeds put into guano or on it, where in quanti- 

 ties and covered, are "burned" like the manure-heaps 

 when the heat of fermentation is too great. 



"Guano mixed with sand would certainly not be 

 acted on by the sand, and guano, (it is believed) when 

 mixed with plaster, is not at aU affected by it. Gu- 

 ano mixed with ashes is rapidly decomposed and with 

 lime more rapidly than by ashes. 



'■I have made these experiments in away that can 

 be repeated by the farmer, and if you please I wish 

 you to repeat them. 



" I send you enclosed a sheet of red Litimus for 

 the purpose. 



"Take four teacups and place in one a table spoon- 

 ful of guano, mix the same quantity of guano with 

 ,au equal part of plaster in an other and with ashes 

 and lime in two others. Cut the sheet into squares, 

 wet them in clear water, and lay one tight over each 

 cup, and observe the change, from red to blue. 



"The rapidity of the change and the intensity of 

 the blue tint, will illustrate the passing off of the 

 ammonia in the gaseous form. 



"The decomposition with ashes, and lime was ex- 

 ceeding rapid — the other two seemed to advance 

 about equally, unless the Guano alone exhaled more 

 ammonia than when mixed with plaster. 



"If the plaster acts on the guano to separate 

 ammonia the Sulphuric acid must take it and form 

 Sulphate of ammonia, and set free the lime. Guano 

 mixed with common salt, does not seem to loose am- 

 monia, and if the two are decomposed, still the am- 

 monia ought to be retained in combination with the 

 Clorine — as Sal Ammoniac. The first point is to 

 retain the ammonia and any compost of guano, that 

 does not act to set free the ammonia, cannot be inju- 

 rious. H." 



We tried the experiments suggested by H. in the 

 presence of a number of gentlemen, and with the 

 same striking results — and will here express our 

 thanks to him for suggesting the experiment and en- 

 abling us to see it, for here seeing is believing. 



And from the opinion of "H." in which the utmost 

 confidence can be placed and from the other experi- 

 ment, we have no hesitation in saying to our friends, 

 that they can mix guano with plaster, without any 

 injui-y to the guano and thus render it more easy and 

 pleasant to be sown broadcast, or to] be applied in 



the hill or drill. But do not mix guano with ashes 

 or lime, as either disengages its ammonia sets it free 

 and thus wastes its most valuable property. — Ex- 

 change. 



In the above simple and plain experiments the rea- 

 der will see a confirmation of our statement made in 

 the April number, page 127, to the effect that plaster 

 will not liberate ammonia from guano. We use ash- 

 es on the same land, and crops to which guano is ap- 

 plied, but do not mix the two fertilizers together. Lime 

 and ashes should be applied by themselves ; while 

 salt and guano, or gypsum and guano may be united 

 before their application. 



Cost of Manure. — The question simply should be, 

 will a dollar's worth of manure produce more than 

 106 cents' v.'orth of corn beyond the expense of pro- 

 ducing it, and beyond the natural crop of the land ? 

 We say that an extra dollar properly invested in mar 

 nures, will produce an excess in crop of five dollars' 

 worth of corn in a single year, and in many cases a 

 much larger ratio of increase, besides leaving the 

 land worth nearly or all the cost of manure lietter 

 for future crops. Who.t would be said of tlie mer- 

 chant who should loan so much of his capital on 

 bond and mortgage, that he had not sufficient means 

 to keep the necessary stock of goods to supply his 

 customers ? And why should the farmer Lau his 

 money to others at six per cent, per annum, when he 

 could earn a j^rofit, in addition to the interest, by 

 using it himself? When a farmer's income is truly 

 in excess of his farm, then he is consulting his best 

 interest by investing his money where it may be used 

 by others for his benefit ; but until his own business 

 is properly cared for, he is wrong to part .with the 

 means necessary to its success. So long as further 

 additions of manure will increase the product beyond 

 cost, the farmer should continue to increase tlie 

 quantity used ; and if he cannot do so by any other 

 means, he should reduce the cpiautity of land tilled. 

 — Working Farmer. 



Mr. Goldthwait, Priucial of the Westfield Aca- 

 demy, proposes to the farmers of Westfield a se- 

 ries of weekly evening meetings, for the purpose 

 of discussion and a comparison of views upon topics 

 of interest to the agriculturist. The suggestion is a 

 good one, and might be adopted by the farmers in 

 other towns with a-reat advantajre. 



NiTRATK OF Soda. — Mr. Stephexsox, of Edin- 

 burgh, applied one cwt. of nitrate of soda and two 

 cwt. of common salt per acre to a wheat crop, ami 

 increased the yield nine bushels jDcr acre. 



Door Mats. — Nearly every kind of mat has been 

 tried in the public schools at Columbus, and tlie 

 rope mats (made of oakum) are found the most du- 

 rable. So says the Ohio Journal of Education. 



To KEEP OUT Red Ants. — Place in the closet, or 

 wherever they usually appear, a small quantity of 

 green sage. 



