THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



39 



another guano and plaster, and on a third no- 

 thing, and report the difference in the times of 

 ripening, the weight per bushel, and product 

 per acre, in order to test the expediency of 

 combining plaster with guano, and to ascertain 

 the profit or loss by the use of guano. In ac- 

 cordance with the above, I selected three ad- 

 joining acres of gray, dry, thin land, of the 

 same quality, judging both from the appear- 

 ance of the land and from the growth of the 

 corn then standing on it. On the first acre I 

 applied 162 lbs. of Peruvian guano, on the 

 second I applied the same quantity of guano 

 and one and a half pecks of plaster, thoroughly 

 mixed before sowing. On the third I applied 

 nothing. The first and second acres were 

 sowed the 5th and the third acre the 6th of 

 November with early purple straw wheat, one 

 bushel to each acre, (the wheat sowed first, 

 the guano on it,) and all turned under with a 

 single-horse plough, and then dragged. 



The wheat on both acres dressed with guano 

 looked decidedly better during the spring and 

 summer than the wheat on the unimproved 

 acre. The wheat on the acre dressed with 

 guano alone looked belter than that on the 

 acre dressed with guano and plaster, so much 

 so, that I expected it to yield one or two 

 bushels the most. The wheat with guano alone 

 ripened about six days earlier than that on 

 the unimproved acre, and about two days ear- 

 lier than that on the one dressed with plaster 

 and guano. The wheat from the acre with 

 guano alone weighed 64$ lbs.; that from the 

 acre with plaster and guano, 64 lbs.; and that 

 from the unimproved acre, 62 J lbs. to the mea- 

 sured bushel. The acre dressed with guano 

 alone produced 15 bushels 15 lbs. The acre 

 with plaster and guano produced 15 bushels. 

 The unimproved acre produced 5 bus. 15 lbs. 



Charging 18 cents for 1$ pecks of plaster, 

 (which includes cost, freight and interest,) 

 and adding to that 22$ cents for 15 lbs. of 

 wheat, at 90cents per bushel, (that being the dif- 

 ference in favor of the acre dressed with guano 

 alone,) it will be found that there was a loss 

 of 40$ cents to the acre, by combining plaster 

 with guano. As there was only a dtfference 

 of one peck of wheat between the two acres, 

 I consider the difference accidental, but con- 

 clude that it is inexpedient to combine plaster 

 with guano. But perhaps the plaster may 

 show its good effects by the future improved 

 condition of the land, by having fixed the am- 

 monia of the guano. In order to ascertain 

 the actual profit or loss by the use of guano, 1 

 will give credit for the production of each 

 acre, then charge for rent of land and for all 

 other expenses for each acre. The northern 

 farmer invests his capital in land expecting 

 to realize a profit by cultivating it with hired 

 labor, while many of the southern farmers 

 either make no estimate of their capita] in- 

 vested in land, considering it only as affording 

 an opportunity for their negroes to ©am as 

 much as they would probably hire for; or 

 they make no estimate for their labor, as they 



do not actually pay in cash for it by the day 

 or month. These may be classed among many 

 other reasons accounting for our not being as 

 thrifty as we should be. But this is a digres- 

 sion, and I will return to the estimate, which 

 is as follows: 



Oh 



By 15 bus. 15 lbs. of wheat from 

 acredressed withguanoalone, 

 at 90 cents per bushel, $13 72$ 



By straw and chaff from do. 1 50 



Gross proceeds of the acre dressed 



with guano, .... $15 22$ 

 Dr. 



To rent of one acre of land, no 

 labor for fencing estimated, Si 00 



To 162 lbs. guano, at $50 per 

 ton, freight included, 4 05 



To interest on do. 24 cts. and 

 to preparing and sowing do. 

 20 cents, ... 44 



To 1 bus. seed wheat 90 cts. 

 and for getting in do. 75 cts. 1 65 



To cutting wheat on one acre, 

 supposing two acres a day's 

 work, - 60 



Togettingupand shockingdo. 30 



To hauling up, threshing and 

 preparing for ma rket 1 5 bus. 

 15 lbs. of wheat at 10 cents 

 per bushel, 1 62$ 



To cost of getting do. to mar- 

 ket and selling do. 10 cents 

 per bushel, 1 62$ 



11 29 



Net proceeds of the acre dressed with 



$3 93$ 



Or. 



By 5 bus. 15 lbs. wheat from 



unimproved acre, at 90 cts. $4 72$ 

 By straw and chaff from do. 50 



Gross proceeds of unimproved acre, $5 22$. 

 Dr. 



To rent of one acre of land, 

 as above, - - - $1 00 



To one bushel seed wheat 90 

 cts. and getting in do. I 65 



To cutting wheat on 1 acre, 

 supposing 3 acres a day's 

 work, .... 40 



Togettingupand shockingdo. 20 j 



To hauling up, threshing, &c. 

 as above, 5 bushels 15 lbs. 

 wheat, at 10 cents, - 62* 



To cost of getting do. to mar- 

 ket, &c. at 10 cts. per bus. 62$ 



4 50 



Net profit from unimproved acre, $0 72$ 



Leaving a clear net profit on one acre by the 

 use of guano of $3 21. 



