THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



255 



subscribers who are in arrears for three years 

 or more, and shall continue to do so until the 

 first of January next, at which time we intend 

 to drop all who are then in arrears for two 

 years and upwards. But in doing so we do 

 »ot intend to relinquish our right to collect our 

 dues from such delinquents, but shall send out 

 their accounts regularly or place them in the 

 hands of Agents for collection. We do not de- 

 sign to adopt strictly the cash system, but we 

 desire to approach as near to it as possible, and 

 wish our "Terms" which are printed conspi- 

 cuously in every paper to be understood by all 

 our subscribers. They are as follows : 



TERMS. 



One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents per 

 annum, or One Dollar only, if paid in advance. 

 Six copies for Five Dollars ; Thirteen copies 

 for Ten Dollars — to be paid invariably in ad- 

 vance; and to them we mean strictly to adhere 

 with this variation only, subscribers who owe 

 for two years, or $2,50 and remit, $5 will be 

 credited for two years of arrearrages and three 

 years in advance. We think no one who in- 

 tends to pay can object to this arrangement. 



RANDOM THOUGHTS UPON THE 

 USE OF GUANO. 

 Mr. Editor : 



The frequent inquiries and reports as to 

 the use of guano seem to indicate that it is 

 suspected of possessing some peculiar 

 magic power different from all other ma- 

 nures ; it is apprehended that if it was re- 

 lieved from this suspicion, its use would 

 be better comprehended, and consequent- 

 ly its benefits would be more diffused. 

 The writer has long been perfectly satis- 

 fied that its properties, and as a conse- 

 quence its action, are>xactly similar to all 

 our concentrated animal manures, more 

 particularly those of the stable, and the 

 poultry yard, in exact proportion to the 

 concentration of their fertilizing principles, 

 and that if either of these may be regarded 

 as permanent manures, then may guano 

 be. It appears almost, if not entirely, a 

 self-evident proposition, that if any fertil- 

 izing agent, is applied to the soil, with all 

 its elements of nutrition, eliminated and 

 prepared to be appropriated by the vessels 

 of the plant; and in quantity not exceed- 

 ing the wants of the plants, and the sea- 

 son be such as to allow the full develop- 

 ment thereof, that the land can receive no 



fertilizing benefit. Guano is in this state 

 of perfect elimination, and consequently 

 promptly answers to the demands of the 

 plant, and if these exceed the funds in the 

 treasury, it runs dry and must be silent as 

 to farther calls. Those who have used 

 guano with tolerable liberality, have found, 

 that for the most part, the growing plant 

 has not exhausted the supply, and that 

 enough has been left to show a decided 

 improvement in the soil. The writer tes- 

 tifies to the fact that three successive 

 crops, tobacco, wheat and oats, have been 

 made from one application. An acre of 

 poor " old field *' was added to a tobacco ^ 

 lot : the lot was manured as usual with 

 stable and stable-yard manure, and the old 

 field with guano alone, about 200 pounds 

 to the acre. Cultivation the same on 

 each — a good crop on each. The guano 

 part, thought by some, best^-seeded in 

 wheat after the tobacco — a good crop with 

 similar comparative result, the spring fol- 

 lowing, was fallowed, sowed in oats with 

 like result, leaving the land guanoed 

 equal in appearance to the old lot along 

 side. Does this evince permanence ? If 

 not, it is asked, what may be so regarded ? 

 Virgin fertility may be tired or exhaust- 

 ed ; and so may any manuring. The ex- 

 ceedingly subtle and evanescent character 

 of guano may be, and, by the writer, is, re- 

 garded as all a mere notion. 



All good lands have certain properties 

 in common, whose constant tendency is to 

 seize and appropriate such fertilizing ele- 

 ments as may be brought within the 

 sphere of their attractions. The limit of 

 their capacities vary, but all will, if allow- 

 ed, attract and appropriate to the full ex- 

 tent of their capacity ; and will retain that 

 degree of fertility, if not wantonly wrested 

 from them. In what this property of self- 

 recuperation consists, no attempt is made 

 to define, but men of intelligent obser- 

 vation can scarcely fail to know good land 

 when they see it ; all such, if exhausted 

 by cultivation, and left to rest will readily 

 seize and appropriate such fertilizing ma- 

 terials as may be brought within the range 

 of their appetencies, and will hold to the 

 full amount of their capacity of appropria- 

 tion. All lands may be stuffed — sur- 

 charged with manure, more than they can 

 appropriate and retain, and if cropped in 

 this state, with the aid of the moisture, will 

 yield to the crop whaf it would otherwise 



