200 OF MANURE. 



tion of the excrements of innumerable sea-fowl, 

 which inhabit the islands upon which it is found. 

 Meyen, the latest writer upon this subject, completely 

 coincides with this opinion; for he says ^ — "Their 

 number is Legion ; they completely cloud the sun, 

 when they rise from their resting-place in the morn- 

 ing in flocks of miles in length." Yet, notwith- 

 standing their great number, thousands of years 

 must have elapsed, before the excrements could 

 have accumulated to such a thickness as they pos- 

 sess at present. Guano has been used by the Peru- 

 vians as a manure since the twelfth century; and 

 its value was considered so inestimable, that the 

 government of the Incas issued a decree, by which 

 capital punishment was inflicted upon any person 

 found destroying the fowl on the Guano islands. 

 Overseers were also appointed over each province, 

 for the purpose of insuring them further protection. 

 Under this state of things, the accumulation of the 

 excrements may have well taken place. All these 

 regulations are, however, now abandoned.f Rivero 

 states, that the annual consumption of guano for the 

 purposes of agriculture amounts to 40,000 fanegas. 

 The increase of crops obtained by the use of guano 

 is verv remarkable. According to the same authority, 

 the crop of potatoes is increased 45 times by means 

 of it, and that of maize 35 times. The manner of 

 applying the manure is singular. Thus in Arica, 

 where so much pepper (^Capsicum haccatum) is cul- 

 tivated, each plant is manured three times : first 

 upon the appearance of the roots, second upon that 

 of the leaves, and lastly upon the formation of the 

 fruit. (Humboldt.) From this it will be observed, 

 that the Peruvians follow the plan of the Chinese, 

 in manuring the plant rather than the soil. The 

 composition of guano points out how admirably it is 

 fitted for a manure ; for not only does it contain 



* Reise um die Erde, B. i. S. 434. 



f Garcilaso, Historic de los YncaSj Vol. I. p. 134. 



