THE SOUTHEKN PLANTER. 



370 



possible. The last year's estimate was by hire 

 by the day, this, by the year. At this rate the 

 force will manure fifty acres per year; and sup- 

 posing the process to continue five years, the 

 account will stand as follows, 

 To improving 250 acres of land at 



$630, $1575 00 



To interest on $315 for five years, 94 50 



Amounting to |1669 50 



Cr. 



By improved condition of 250 

 acres of land at thp expira- 

 tion of 5 years, say $2 per 

 acre, $500 00 



By increased production of 

 corn on the several fields 

 as they come into cultiva- 

 tion, say 1 bbl. to the acre, 

 corn at $3 per bbl. ^ $750 00 



By increased production of 

 wheat on the several fields 

 as they come into wheat, 

 supposing two 50 acre fields 

 in wheat each year, say 1 



\ bus. per acre,* 500 bus. at 



$125 per bus. $625 00 



Amounting to $1875 00 



By balance in favor of the system of $205 50 

 I will not enter into a detailed calculation on 

 the guano system as I find my communication 

 will be too long, but will simply say, there will 

 be the. same rotation of crops. By applying 

 100 lbs. of guano to the acre in the drill on 50 

 acres of land each year for corn and 200 lbs. to 

 the acre for wheat on 100 acres, there will be 

 used annually 12^ tons of guano which at $55 

 per ton comes to $687 50. Now supposing 

 there will be only>a clear gain of one half bar- 

 rel of corn per acre, and one half bushel of 

 wheat per acre in the rotation after paying for 

 the guano and interest thereon, and only 50 cts. 

 per acre for improved condition of the land at 

 the expiration of five years, the account will 

 stand thus — 



By cash for improvement in 



250 acres of land at 50 cts. 



per acre, $125 00 



By cash for 125 bbls. corn at 



$3 per bbl. $375 00 



Bv ditto, for 250 bus. wheat 



"at $1 25 per bushel, $312 50 

 Amounting to $812 50 



From which deduct profit on 



Ist system, $205 50 



Bitference in favor of guano system, $607 00 

 I am not an advocate for using 200 ft) of gua- 



* By mistake this was put 2 bushels per 

 acre, but the amount $625 00 was carried out 

 as above. This gave rise to a review by Mr. 

 Bland. 



no per acre for corn, but think it probable 

 tliat 100 lbs. in the drill to start the corn would 

 pay well, and also bring into cultivation land 

 which would not be cultivated without guano, 

 or some other active concentrated manure. It 

 may be said that there is no profit by the use 

 of guano. In reply I have to say that I have 

 some years sustained loss by the use of guano, 

 both on corn and wheat, while I have in other 

 years made after paying for guano $7,11 on 

 corn, and about $5 on wheat, to the acre, over 

 and above the amount made on similar land 

 cultivated without guano, which is about 120 

 per cent, nett interest, per annum. 



If tobacco be substituted for corn and 200 or 

 250 lbs. guano to the acre be used, the result will 

 probably be much more favorable, as common 

 old field thus dressed, will bring better tobacco 

 than we generally make on our new and second 

 years' ground, and will also bring a good crop 

 of wheat without a second dressing of guano.' 

 In relation to the two acres reported on last 

 year, one with a pretty heavy dressing of pine 

 beards, the other having been in oats and peas, 

 I will state that the wheat made this year after 

 the pea fallow is, I think, rather better than 

 that after the pine beards, and judging from 

 the looks of the ground and the vegetation now 

 growing on the two acres I think the pea fallow 

 acre has the advantage also as to improvement 

 of soil. Perhaps extra labor is as much need- 

 ed, and may on the most of our farms be as ju- 

 diciously expended in clearing hedgerows, skirts 

 of pines, &c., so as to bring into one unbroken 

 field that which is now cut into nooks and cor- 

 ners. I was very much pleased with an improve- 

 ment of this sort made by our friend Mr, T. F. 

 Epes, on one of his fields, over which I had the 

 pleasure of riding with him some short time 

 since, I think it probable, that he would not 

 have gone so extensively into that improvement, 

 had it not been for guano. I think we may 

 look with more hope to the recuperative ten- 

 dency of land to recover itself under a judi- 

 cious system than to the slow process of haul- 

 ing vegetable matter on it. This system of 

 robbing Peter to pay Paul is not on the whole 

 a gaining one; as it is evident there is not only 

 damage done'to the land by hauling ojff vegeta- 

 ble matter, but the undergrowth is also injured. 

 To conclude : were I to use extra labor I would 

 bestow it in connection with the use of guano 

 in clearing hedgerow skirts of pines, &c., where 

 the timber will never be useful for rails — let it 

 remain at least one year on the ground, fallow 

 such land for corn or wheat as circumstances 

 and quality of land may justify, at times when 

 he land on the balance of the farm may be too, 

 wet to plough, and by this means bring into 

 cultivation land that is now entirely useless and 

 thereby improve both the appearance and the 

 productiveness of the whole. 



Respectfully, submitted, 



WM. IRBY. 



