122 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



fine dry earth or ashes ; this enables it to be more equally divided over 

 the ground than if it were sown by itself. The quantity per acre is 

 so small that there is only a very minute quantity indeed to the square 

 foot. If three cwt. are applied to the imperial acre, there is only about 

 If th drachms to each square foot of surface. Both the earth and ashes 

 should be reduced to a very fine powder before being applied, and it is 

 better to allow it to lie for a few days before using it. Whatever de- 

 scription of drill may be used for the purpose, there should always be from 

 three-fourths to one inch of soil between the seed and the guano, the latter 

 lying below the former. If both lie together in the soil, the probability 

 is that the one will destroy the other. 



I have used phospho-guano, for which Messrs Lawson & Son are the 

 contractors in England and Scotland, for some years with very marked 

 success, and especially as a topdressing for permanent grass. A field 

 of this description which I have, had formerly been annually manured 

 with farmyard manure, applied at the rate of about ten cartloads per 

 acre, and the autumn crops of hay were from one and a quarter to one 

 and a half tons. "When I got possession of it I applied about the 

 same quantity of farmyard manure per acre, and in addition two and 

 a half cwt. of phospho-guano. The annual return of hay has since been 

 about three tons per acre. The farmyard manure is usually put on to 

 the land in December, and spread as equally as possible over the surface, 

 and allowed to lie undisturbed until the middle of March, when it is 

 then lush-harrowed that is, with a harrow made of thorn branches. 

 After this it is gone over with a chain-harrow, and then all loose straw, 

 stones, and other foreign matters are collected and removed. It is then 

 rolled over so as to compress and level the surface. The guano is then 

 sown broadcast in the beginning of April, or if the season be anything 

 cold and backward, I delay doing it for a few weeks longer. I always 

 choose a wet day for sowing it indeed, for the last three seasons it 

 has been sown when it was pouring of rain. I have applied it with 

 equal efficacy to wheat, oats, turnips, mangold -wurzel, beans, and 

 potatoes. 



There can be no doubt but that many of our farmers, especially in 

 the north of England, would benefit greatly by a more general use of 

 guano. Previous to 1860 very few of the farmers in this district 

 used any guano indeed, they seemed to have an idea that it was 

 useless as a manure, and that it was a quack affair made up to rob 

 their pockets. Some of my elder tenant-friends had, and indeed have 

 yet, a very low estimate of the value of guano as a manure ; they can- 

 not conceive how such a small quantity can be sufficient manure for 

 an acre. They say, " There is nought like management." " Manage- 



