GUANO. 191 



and firmly holding these substances. Finally, by 

 the addition of earth a more uniform distribution of 

 the mass upon the land is rendered practicable, and 

 the flying off of dust during dispersion prevented; — 

 an inconvenience that otherwise is likely to occur, 

 and may occasion inflammation of the eyes and oth- 

 er annoyances to the laborer. 



"With potatoes^ green crops^ roots, etc., a handful 

 of the mingled earth and guano may be given to ev- 

 ery plant in dibbling or planting. A little more 

 than a quarter of an ounce of bird-manure, costing 

 the fourth part of a farthing, serves in this way as 

 an exclusive manuring for a plant. With other ma- 

 nures a third or fourth part of this quantity, whose 

 value will not therefore exceed the twelfth or sixteenth 

 of a farthing, causes a very marked increase of growth. 

 Equally certain results are obtained if the mixture 

 of earth and guano is scattered with as great uni- 

 formity as possible in the ridges in which potato 

 sets are laid, or if, in case the guano should not at 

 that moment be at hand, it is strewed over the sur- 

 face of the field after the young plants have already 

 sprouted up but may still be passed over with the 

 harrow ; — a mode of treatment that is confessedly 

 of great advantage when the potatoes have attained 

 the height of some four inches above the ground, and 

 must soon be earthed up. Garden produce may be 

 treated in either of these methods ; for such plants, 

 however, as also for grass and meadow land, water- 

 ing with a solution of guano may be strongly recom- 



