GUANO. 175 



composition has advanced farther in them, and hence 

 feathers, egg-shells, and similar remains are no longer 

 found, whilst in the upper layers they are of frequent 

 occurrence. 



But will not these layers of good guano be speed- 

 ily exhausted by the increasing demand ? This ap- 

 prehension I have already heard from many farmers, 

 but it is not, after all, very urgent or alarming. Ac- 

 cording to the survey recently instituted by the Pe- 

 ruvian government, the deposit of guano now exist- 

 ing in South and Middle Peru contains a store of 

 more than 500,000,000 cwt. This supply will hold 

 out yet a considerable time. 



The very apprehension, however, that the guano 

 may come to an end, should impel the farmer to ex- 

 ert himself, that he too may participate in the ad- 

 vantages which rational agriculture is able to derive 

 from this substance before it is too late. For it is 

 beyond disputfe that those countries which are first 

 in securing its possession will obtain the greatest 

 advantage, inasmuch as they will attain far more 

 quickly to an increased revenue from the soil than 

 those which follow later, and inasmuch as they will 

 first arrive at that state of cultivation in which they 

 can do without its assistance. This high cultiva- 

 tion will be attained when, through the augmented 

 produce of fodder and straw produced by means of 

 auxiliary manures, as much natural manure is pro- 

 duced as is requisite plentifully to manure the entire 

 area of the farm. Saxony numbers already, particu- 



