3.—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. | E 
4 LIQUID MANURE. 
ENGLAND INDEPENDENT OF THE WORLD FOR CORN. 
"DHE attention of the Agricultural Interest, at this 
momentous crisis, is requested to the great importance o: 
LIQUID MANURE, and the ease with which it may be appro- 
priated by the use of FOWLER'S PUMPS, made expressly for 
the purpose, either portable or fixed ; Garden, Ship, and Barge 
Pumps; also those for Distill Brewers, Soap Boilers, an 
Tanners, for hot and cold liquor, mp3 kept for hire, for 
Excavations and Wells. Buildings heated by Hot Water, for 
Horticulture, and every variety of manufacturing purposes. 
The Trade supplied on advantageous terms, by BENJAMIN 
Fowrzn, Engineer, &c., 63, Dorset-street, Fleet-street, London. 
Che Agricultural Gazette. 
n 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1846. 
MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS. 
Taourspay, Jan, 22—Agricultural Imp. Soc, of Ireland, 
Tuursvay,, — 29—Agricultural Imp. Soc. of Ireland. 
FARMERS’ Em 
Jan, 19—Botle; an. 26—Wellington 
98 
go f Bromsgrove —  98—Newton 
m Plymton St. Mary — 29—Ottery St. Mary 
— 23—Shadwell .. — 30—Rhins of Galloway 
Some weeks ago we stated as the result of in- 
formation kindly given us by the Secretaries of 
Farmers’ Cruss, that these societies might be fairly 
arranged in two classes—the one self sustained and 
in vigorous activity, because composed of men who 
know the advantages of inter-communication on 
agricultural topics, and the benefit of an acquaint- 
ance with the theory of their art, and who therefore 
meet together to discuss points of farm practice, or 
to hear hired lecturers illustrate the teachings of 
agricultural chemistry or geology—the other de- 
pendant for its vitality on the patronage of the in- 
fluential and the educated in the neighbourhood, be- 
‘cause the members are not sufficiently alive to the 
advantages derivable from their membership to keep 
the society in action without assistance. The vigour 
of these latter clubs is therefore simply in accord- 
ance with the nature of the support they receive. 
Certainly, if kept alive for a few years by the 
ti of its office-bearers, a club of this kind 
will ultimately come to be arranged amongst those of 
the first kind—its members will acquire such an 
interest in its operations as a society, as to take the 
management and support of it entirely into their own 
hands, It is doubtless the anticipation of this which 
to a great extent supports the secretary of such a 
society in the arduous labours of his somewhat 
thankless office ; and there is no doubt that however 
valuable the influence of the landowners and gentle- 
men of the neighbourhood may be when applied to 
the support of a club such as we allude to—these 
societies are yet of much greater usefulness when 
self sustained than when dependant upon extraneous 
aid for their vigour or vitality. 
We give in another page the history and present 
management of two clubs which may be considered 
as fairly representing the two classes we have re- 
ferred to; the first, the Richmondshire Club, certainly 
claims a position amongst the most influential and 
independent, and therefore amongst the most useful 
of its kind; and the other society (Readers in its 
neighbourhood will recognise the initials), must, we 
suppose still ucknowledge its dependence upon the 
Support from without which it receives. Both of 
their histories are, we consider, instructive to those 
who may wish to establish such societies—the latter 
particularly so. We doubt not that after a few more 
years of that patient and industrious assistance which 
it has hitherto received, the C— H— Farmers’ Club 
will rightfully claim a place amongst the most intelli- 
gent and useful in the land. 
Tur Prospects or rue Guano MARKET are 
well entitled to our consideration. The “ great fact" 
of the vast and increasing consumption of this 
manure (see p. 9), makes the subject of a future 
supply one of much importance to the practical 
farmer. The value of the manure is now fully esta- 
blished, and a liberal supply is essential not merely 
because of the direct advantages to the productive- 
ness of the country accruing from the use of it ; but 
also because the quantity imported will, in no slight 
degree, be the measure of the price it will bear, and 
thus, in a great degree, of the other foreign fertilisers 
which tne farmer uses. 
The late spread of information on the subject of 
manures, and the consequent increasing use of 
special hand-tillages, insure a demand that must pro- 
duce an exorbitant price, if the supply be inade- 
quate. -The consideration of our future supply of 
guano presses still more peculiarly upon our notice, 
when our progressive demand is first taken in con- 
nexion with the not less startling facts, that, of the 
137,000 tons consumed during last year, 100,000 
tons atleast were derived from Ichaboe, and that 
the deposit there is now completely exhausted : 
100,000 tons -of guano per annum must thus be ob- 
tained from some new source, or old sources must 
increase their supply by that amount. If this can 
he done, the position of the consumer is anythi 
but unfavourable. The question for consideration 
is—can this be done? Our answer is—it can! At 
the first glance the prospect seems a cheerless one. 
Ichaboe is exhausted. Peru has only sent us 
50,000 tons in five years, and the extent of thestock 
at Saldanha is not known; while its quality, as yet 
practically untried, is certainly much inferior to any 
hitherto brought to this country. Still—it can be 
done! The prospect is not really so gloomy as it 
appears at first glance ; it requires a closer examina- 
tion to develope the actual features of the scene. 
However inferior the Saldanha guano may be to 
that of Africa, which is now exhausted, the Peruvian 
is superior to both, and although we have imported 
only 30,000 tons during the last 15 months, yet an 
unlimited supply may be had from that country ; and 
itis an important fact, though one scarcely so well 
known, that the Government of that country is 
willing to afford us a supply commensurate with our 
demand so soon as their existing engagements will 
permit them. 
These engagements, it is well known, are such as 
preclude the free exportation of the manure, and 
make the importation of the article into this country 
a monopoly in the hands of one company. As this 
monopoly was granted in payment for benefits pre- 
viously conferred upon the Peruvian Government, 
the contract, of course, must be fulfilled to the letter. 
Nor ought we, the consumers of the article affected 
both in price and quantity by the negotiation, to con- 
sider it altogether a grievance; for, although it has 
given to the importers security against competition, 
and has thereby kept the price higher than it other- 
wise would have been, we are indebted to this coun- 
pany for making the manure an article of commerce 
at all—for pushing it into the market—for institut- 
ing inquiries into its effects—and for stimulating 
other speculators to the discovery of fresh sources of 
supply. 
But with all respect in the world for existing con- 
tracts, and all gratitude for the good they have 
effected, we may still look forward to their termina- 
tion with pleasure. The necessity of a supply, and 
the ability of Peru to afford it, induce this feel- 
ing ; and whether the contractors are in a position 
to resign the monopoly of this trade or not, under 
the circumstances which now bear upon the market, 
we cannot but feel it to be a public benefit that their 
exclusive right must soon legally expire. And this 
benefit is the more immediately of importance to us, 
since the Peruvians have discovered the value of 
guano as the materiel of an export trade for im- 
proving the public finance of their country. 
has, indeed, already been proposed by the leader of 
the Opposition in that country, to sell licenses to 
load and ship the guano. Under these circum- 
stances, therefore, we may fully rely upon Peru to 
afford us a liberal supply at a fair price, on the ter- 
mination of the contract which expires in 1846. 
Another fact strengthens us in this expectation. 
The contractors have proposed, and the Executive 
has submitted the proposal to Congress, for an 
extension of time of the original contract, and 
permission for the contractors to ship 10,000 tons 
more of guano, for which they have offered to ad- 
vance Government a further sum of 203,000 dollars, 
or about 40,0007, and this Congress has refused ; 
and thus afforded unquestionable evidence that they 
are disposed to make the article the subject of a 
legitimate and open traffie, and thus materially 
improve their own finances, and give us a full supply 
of the best article for the future. 
There is one more cheering circumstance con- 
nected with the prospects of the guano market. 
We may hope for liberal supplies not only after the 
termination of the contract in 1846, but also pre- 
vious to that period; indeed, we may expect an 
immediate importation of nearly double the quan- 
tity hitherto sent us. The contractors have shipped 
up to July last only 50,000 of the 120,000 tons 
to which they are entitled by their contract. This 
contract was, to lend the Government 100,0007., 
and to export in five years from 1841, for the ac- 
count of the Government 120,000 tons of guano ; 
upon which the contractors were to have ship 
charges, and 5 per cent. commission on gross sales, 
and to repay themselves and holders of the bonds, 
for the loan of the 100,0007., out of the net proceeds 
of the sale. 
Congress having refused to renew this contract, or 
rather to grant a new one on the same terms, in consi- 
deration of a loan of 40,0007., affords a proof not only 
of their knowledge of an existing demand for the 
article, and of their ability to supply it to usin larger 
quantities ; but it also gives us reason to expect 
from the present contractors a much larger importa- 
tion during next year than we have hitherto wit- 
nessed. Indeed, it appears that they are still en- 
titled to ship 70,000 tons, which is mere than they 
have brought into market during the past four years, 
- 
ex 
of this supply, with the facts before them that the 
quantity used last year has been so enormous, and ` 
that the supply from Ichaboe is cut off. 
For these reasons, therefore, we look upon the 
prospeets ofthe supply of an article now so essen- 
tial to our husbandry, as most satisfactory, and we 
refer our readers with sincere pleasure to an extract 
in another column from the communication of the 
* Anglo- Peruvian" correspondent of the Morning 
Herald for confirmation of the facts we have stated, 
and further illustration of the effects which they are 
likely to have upon our market. 
They show that the Peruvians are fully aware of 
the immense demand that we have for their article, 
and that they are willing to supply it more liberally , 
than the contractors have done. Had it not been 
so, this Government would have renewed the con- 
tract ; for it is obvious that unless they do supply a 
larger quantity than is now in our market, they will 
not improve their finances. This, indeed, it will be 
seen, is the argument used in Congress. And, on 
the other hand, this communication informs us that 
the contractors must work “now or never,” in order 
to make the most of their bargain, and to secure the 
quantity of guano to which they are entitled. With 
70,000 tons yet due to our market, and the certainty 
of a full supply after another twelvemonth, we have 
no cause to fear but that, independently of any new 
sources of supply which may be developed, we shall 
have abundant stock for both present and future 
wants : and an abundant supply is a sure guarantee 
of moderate price. 
ON THE MANAGEMENT OF COMPOST HEAPS. 
[A terrer by North Dalrymple, Esq., of Fordel and 
Cleland, to Mr. M‘Bride, Balcar, Secretary to the 
Rhins Farmers’ Society. Taken from the Ayrshire 
and Renfrewshire Agriculturist.] 
I promised you when you were here to send you an 
account of our way of making muck. It is, however, 
only Lord Meadowbank’s plan, with the addition of 
urine and some different details. For instance, his 
lordship made up his dunghill at once, having a great 
quantity of materials ready, whereas we mix our muck, 
moss (i. e. peat), &c., once a week. 
lst. In the spring, or indeed in any season, we dig 
the moss, throwing it into a heap of about 4 feet thick, 
which will subside a good deal after getting the winter 
frost and the summer sun, when the rain washes out 
the tannin, which is poisonous to vegetation. A man 
can dig 48 cubic yards of moss for a shilling. A cubic 
yard is thrown into the Forth for a farthing. In the 
summer season, and in dry weather, the moss ‘should 
be broken, to dry it ; the best way is to spread it, and 
put the roller over it, and then keep turning it with a 
long hoe till a great part of the moisture is expunged 
from it, as this makes the carriage less expensive. 
The cart that brings it to the yard should have large 
wings to make it hold more. When brought home it 
ought to be put under cover, say the cattle sheds. 
2d. All the stable, byre, &c., dung is laid in a eonve- 
nient part of the yard wherethe dunghill is to be formed, 
and plaeed eompaetly together, to exclude as much as 
possible the sun and air; and a man might tramp a 
little on it to keep the ammonia from escaping. This 
dung is mixed with moss every Saturday, in the follow- 
ing method, viz. a layer of moss 4 inches thick is laid 
on the space where the midden is to be built, above 
that we put dung, then moss, next dung, and so on in 
the proportion of 1ton of dung to 3 of moss, till it is 
31 feet high ; the last layer must be moss 4 inches 
thick, When it is half its height it should be watered 
with cesspool water ; and, again, when at its intended 
height the whole mass should have buckets-full of urine 
thrown over it to saturate it well. Every other day 
moss is put all round to catch any liquor that may 
ooze out, and this may be mixed with the midden again 
when it is turned. We always build our dunghills to 
a wall This first dunghill, then (or pie, as we call 
it), must be its own breadth from the wall, leaving 
a space of 4 feet between it and the next pie to be 
made, and this is for the man to walk whilst turning it. 
| The next Saturday this first made-up pie is turned to 
the wall, and watered every 18 inches or 2 feet, and 
made 5 feet high, or even six, if room is required ; 
under it must be 4 inches of moss, as before described. 
This is intended to save the juices, and it may be 
covered with 4 inches of moss, and over that whins 
or sticks to keep the hens from scratching. This, too, 
may be watered now and then on the surface if you 
have urine to spare. When this is finished, a new 
pie must be made on the old stand of the rough dung 
lying in the yard and moss as before, always leaving 
a space for the man to walk. This again on the next 
Saturday is made 5 feet or more in height, and so on. 
This will be in prime order for using two months after 
it is made. The moss at the top will fix the gases, and 
the dung, cart for cart, will produeo as good erops as 
any common farm-yard muck. I do not know whether 
your moss is so near as to make this pay, but, of 
course, you will make your calculations. I generally 
keep six pigs, which make an uncommon quantity 
of excellent muck, in this way :—On a Saturday I put 
4 inches of moss in the yard of the stye, then straw, 
and next urine ; this is repeated twice a-week, and in 
a fortnight, or on the second Saturday, they are 
| and it is not probable that they will lose the benefit | cleaned out, and their dung mixed with the cow, horse, 
