MANURES. 121 



very small proportion. If it has not the genuine smell on first seeing it, 

 if good it will show it sufficiently when mixed with common lime. The 

 article should be dry it is a very common practice to water it to increase 

 the weight and it also ought to be of a light-brown colour. 



In applying guano to the soil, great consideration must be had as to 

 the state of the atmosphere. Guano should always be applied to the soil 

 in rainy weather, or at least there ought to be a large amount of mois- 

 ture present ; and unless this be the case it will not succeed so well as it 

 should do. If put on in dry weather, and a few days of the same weather 

 continue afterwards, the greater part of the fertilising elements of the 

 manure will escape and be lost ; but if put on in moist or wet weather, 

 the rain will wash the guano into the soil, and the roots of the plants 

 will get the benefit of it. 



In regard to the quantity to be applied to the land, this varies, or" 

 rather should vaiy, with the kind of soil to be dealt with. This is a 

 point not usually attended to by agriculturists, but is nevertheless one 

 of considerable importance, for different soils really require different 

 treatment in applying guano to them. The particles of heavy soils such 

 as the clays and loams are firmer, and their power of absorption is 

 greater. They are not porous soils, and therefore this enables them to 

 retain for a greater length of time any manure which is applied to them ; 

 and they prevent the action of the sun, or any atmospheric influence, 

 from extracting the fertilising elements of the manures. 



On the other hand, light soils such as the gravels, chalks, and sands 

 are acted on very freely by the atmosphere ; and in consequence of their 

 texture being more open than the heavy soils, the atmosphere has a 

 considerable influence to a greater depth in the soil; therefore, when 

 manures are applied to them, they are decomposed very quick, and the 

 crops only get a portion of what is put into the soil. Hence the reason 

 I state that different soils require different treatment in the applica- 

 tion of manure to them. Heavy soils may receive a liberal applica- 

 tion of manure at one time for the reason formerly stated, but light soils 

 should receive a smaller quantity at once, but the quantity should be 

 repeated more frequently. 



It is also of importance to apply guano properly to the soil I mean 

 in the mode of applying it. In doing this where the crops are drilled 

 in, I prefer sowing half the quantity to be applied broadcast, and 

 immediately before the seed is drilled in, and the other half along with 

 the seed. Have a quantity of the manure close to them to start them 

 in their growth, and when they spread their roots through the soil they 

 must meet with the guano sown broadcast. In preparing guano for 

 sowing with a drill, I have usually mixed it with a quantity of very 



