123 



low grounds and ten acres high land (or hills.) 

 This experiment paid a larger profit than any I 

 have ever made on corn. The distance was four 

 feet hy two, furrows for planting opened with a 

 two horse plough, the corn dropped, and the compost 

 upon it, and covered with a coulter; on the high 

 land one stalk in the hill, on the low-grounds one 

 and two alternately. The low grounds averaged 

 about twelve barrels, and the high land about six 

 bar; els per acre. I think the yield in hoth caies 

 Was doubled by the application. 



About, the (itb of June, 1853, I applied two tons 

 of Peruvian <2iiano on corn at tho t rate of 150 

 pounds per acre, sowed in a narrovv string about 

 the coin and covered immediately with a mould 

 board [dough, the dirt thrown to the corn. This ap- 

 plication was on low grounds, and increased the 

 yield per acre, I suppose, from two to three barrels. 



Experiments with Gv.arto and KdtteitxlV s Rsnoza- 

 to<: — On a piece of poor low grounds, containing 

 2200 squaie yards, I applied between the 5th and 

 10th of June, 1853, 75 lbs. P. guano, sowed clo.e 

 to the corn and covered immediately with the dirt 

 thrown to the corn; gathered and measured three 

 barrels and three pecks, making about eight bar- 

 rels per acre. On the.- same quantity and quality 

 of land, and immediately adjacent, 1 sowed amd 

 coveted in the same way one banel of Kettle u cii's 

 Renovator, costing here within a fraction of $4$ 

 and gathered and measured two barrels and four 

 bushels of corn. Difference in favor of guano, four 

 bushels and 3 peeks. 



4^ bushels corn at 70 cents S3 82$ 

 75 lbs. Peruvian guano at 2f cents 2.06^ 



Nett gain $i.26.£ or about 



$2.75 per acre. 



I do hot conceive that the Renovator increased 

 the yield at ail, and I am led to this conclusion froin 

 «Uher experiments 1 made with it. i sowed seven- 

 teen barrels of it din tobacco land in 1853, at the 

 rate of one and a half" barrels to the acre, costing 

 per acre here nearly six dollars, and if it benefitted 

 the crop I am entirely ignorant of it. In order to 

 -give it a fair trial, 1 reserved two barrels and ap- 

 plied it in the hiii to corn in 1854, according to Mr. 

 Kettle-well's directions, and I could- perceive no; 

 benefit whatever. Mr. Kettleworth advised its ap- 

 plication wiih Peruvian guano if I had it, and with- 

 out the guano if 1 had not. In my experiments I 

 preferred to try it alone, and let it stand or fall 

 upon its own met its. 



In 1S51 I used about four tons of Peruvian guano 

 on corn land, sowed broad-cast and in the drill from 

 X50 to 200 lbs. per acre ; very little benefit was re- 

 alized from this application, in the increaseof grain, 

 except on flamp spots, but a decided increase in 

 the quantity of fodder. I also applied two tons 

 Peruvian guano on tobacco land, 300 lbs. to the 

 acre, in 1854, without any decided advantage in the 

 growth of the plant, but I perceive it thickened 

 and ripened faster in the Pall and was ready for 

 the knife earlier than that upon which the applica- 

 tion was not made, thus avoi ling any risk of^ost. 



In 1855 [ selected damper land (but not subject 

 to inundation) for the application of gimno on to- 

 bacco, an I applied from 300 io 400 lbs per acre in 

 thedn'll. This expei ime it succeeded admirably, and. 

 .should the tobacco bring a reasonable price, a good 

 percent will be realized. Tne same yeai;l mea- 

 sured one acre of poor land, very .-lightly manured 

 with sammer cow pens in 1854, and applied to this 



piece a compost of 200 lbs. Peruvian guano, 200 

 lbs. leached ashes, 100 lbs plaster, and one bushel 

 table salt, costing about $7, sowed in a drill, and 

 (he hills made upon it. This was a remarkably 

 good piece of tobacco, and paid better for the out- 

 lay ihan any other experiment; 



1 h ive used stable (horse) manure with and with- 

 out p aster in the hill for com with beneficial re- 

 sults, especially so in a wet season. 1 consider 

 there is hut a slight difference in the yield of corn 

 in favor of guano over this manure, but guano has 

 the advantage in the smaller bulk to be carried to 

 di-tant oariji of the field and the greater rapidity 

 and less labor in its application. 



In my experiments wiih wheat, I hia,v« not been 

 very iojccesslul, owing measurably to the advice of 

 your coni.i ibuiors and farmers wiih whom 1 have 

 conversed,, as to the quantity to be used, turn which 

 he largest per centum could he realized. Taking that 

 advice I used it at- firtf too sparingly (or this region 

 to cum-ieract the ravages of the joint-worm. Prom 

 experience and ob.>ervaiion 1 have learned that in 

 thiS section of country, <n vo$> [aiu. 1 , unaided by 

 Other fertilizers, jess than ilQO lbs; Peruvian guano 

 per acre will not pay well, and then (he farmer 

 may not calculate on much clear gain, unless he 

 sell at hbih figures. 



In 1853, I made a trial of one ton Peruvian guano 

 on oafs, sowed on high land, and have not since re- 

 peated the experiment; that being a dry season 

 and the experiment consequently not succeeding 

 well. 



In dripping seasons guano acts charmingly on 

 spring and summer crops. But the farmer will be 

 disappointed ' n '-1*7 seasons, unless he be very cau- 

 liousin the selection of the land for its application. 



I agree with Mr. Noland, that rolling the seed 

 corn in guano is worth the trial, if only to accele- 

 rate the growth of the young plant, so as to rush 

 it out of she way of worms and other pests; and 

 moreover the great advantage, in my opinion is, to 

 enable the farmer to work it earlier and get il in 

 good order by harvest ; for my iinle experience 

 teaches me that in the main the working of , the 

 corn crop must cease then, unless the fanner has an 

 extra force to keep his ploughs running in harvest 

 itne. Robert N, Trics. 



Mychunk, near Keswick Depot, 



Albemarle Co. 



• For the Southern Planter. 

 ROLLING SEED IN GUANO. 



Editor Planter : — Aa there seems to be 

 some diversity of opinion as to the effects of 

 guano upon the germination of seed when the 

 Two are brought in immediate contact, I take 

 leave to report my experience, which has been 

 sufficient to satisfy my own mind upon the sub- 

 ject. I have practiced rolling grain in guano 

 — both corn and wheat — for several years and 

 have always found it to act beneficially, when 

 the grain is planted immediately after the ap- 

 plication is made. Last fall, however, I had a 

 small quantity of rolled wheat leftover from the 

 day's sowing, which remained during the night 

 in the gun no. This failed to come up — not one 

 grain in an hundred germinating — while the 

 res^of (he crop came up well. The contact 

 with the cl;iy, 1 presume, destroy? the caustic 

 property of the guano, whi.ch otherwise, if the 

 article he good, is sufficient to prevent the ger- 



