GUANO. 189 



must be made. First, the guano must be prepared. 

 This preparation is very simple, and consists in redu- 

 cing it to a homogeneous, pulverulent mass, and mix- 

 ing it with earth. The first is effected upon a barn- 

 floor, by sifting and thrashing. The finer portion is 

 first sifted off; then the remaining lumps and frag- 

 ments of larger size are thrashed, and again sifted, 

 until they are likewise converted into powder. The 

 last portions of the residue are often so yielding and 

 viscid, that they flatten upon being struck with the 

 flail, and will not pass through the sieve. In this 

 event they may be either beaten together with a brick 

 or stone, by which means they are easily reduced 

 to powder, or they may be added to the compost- 

 heaps which are absent on no good farm. The 

 sifted guano should now be mingled with from twice 

 to three times the same quantity of earth, or with a 

 mixture of earth and ashes, and the whole shovelled 

 together, until a thorough and entirely uniform mix- 

 ture is effected. The earth must possess the ordinary 

 state of moisture, in which it easily absorbs the 

 guano without forming into balls or lumps. It is a 



or with all these substances together ; thus spread layer upon layer 

 alternately, aryJ finish by covering up with the empty bags, and put- 

 ting over these a final coating of any of these absorbing substances. 

 In this way the ammonia will suffer very little diminution, and the 

 mixture will be sufticiently incorporated when taken on to the land, 

 and ploughed or drilled in, without the labor and loss attendant on 

 turning over. The small lumps may be left in without prejudice ; the 

 few large ones may be easily separated by hand, and broken after- 

 wards.— J. E. T. 



