4 
GUANO VS. WORN-OUT LAND. 
117 
GUANO Vs. WORN-OUT LAND. 
In the spring of 1848, I made an experiment 
with guano on worn-out land, and the result in- 
duced me to try it again the following year on 
a larger scale. So, last spring, I broke up about 
25 acres, most of which had not been plowed 
for nine years, marked it out both ways, and 
scattered over the hills about seventy pounds of 
Peruvian guano per thousand hills, afterwards 
running the field over with a small covering 
harrow where the ground was clear. But where 
the sedge sward was too rough for the harrow, 
I covered the guano with a hoe. I then dropped 
the corn in the hills, covered it the usual way, 
and it came up well. By accident, one row be- 
tween two others was left without guano, and, 
without any prejudice or partiality was culti- 
vated in other respects the same as the rest of 
the field. 
Although the land was exceedingly poor, the 
corn had a healthy and vigorous look all the 
season, and filled out well, wherever the guano 
was applied, the fodder being at least four fold 
by these considerations and impressed with 
their great importance, I shall endeavor to car- 
ry them out in the following rotation: — 
Wheat is a very exhausting crop, and for that 
reason is not well adapted to a rotation, in 
which hemp is to be included.. Rye is consider- 
ably less exhausting than wheat, and when fed 
off on the ground, will actually improve, in- 
stead of exhausting the soil. Indian corn is so 
necessary, in every system of agriculture, suited 
to most of the states, that no rotation can, with 
propriety, be adopted, in which that crop is not 
included. Corn, according to Judge Buel, is 
embraced in the second class of exhausting crops. 
It is less exhausting than either wheat or rye, 
when those crops are removed from the ground. 
In the rotation exhibited in the table below, 
it will be seen that the hemp crop will be pre- 
ceded by two crops of corn, two of rye, and two 
of clover ; and consequently, if the rye be fed 
off on the ground, the hemp crop will follow 
two moderately-exhausting, two moderately-im- 
proving, and two very highly-improving crops. 
more than that of the unmanured row. At har- ! If therefore, the soil be well adapted to hemp, 
vest, I weighed and measured the corn of 100 land not much reduced by bad husbandry, at 
hills in the row which had no guano, and of 
100 hills in the next row to it, the result of which 
was as follows : — 
100 hills without guano produced 10 
lbs. of inferior corn, equal to 4 bushels 
per acre, valued at 
100 hills with guano produced 41 lbs. 
of good corn, well filled, equal to 16 bush- 
els, valued at 
Cost of 70 lbs. of guano per acre, at the 
rate of 70 lbs. per thousand hills, 
Thus it will be seen that the profits attending 
the guano is $2.15 cents per acre more than on 
the land where no manure was applied. C. 
Kent County, Del, Feb., 1850. 
$2.00 
S8.00 
83.85 
THE BEST ROTATION OF CROPS— No. 1. 
In any system of agriculture, in which a reg- 
ular rotation of crops is introduced, with a view 
as well to profit, as to the improvement of the 
soil, it will be found decidedly disadvantageous 
to cultivate too great a variety of agricultural 
products. In proportion as these are increased 
in number, the farm must be cut up in more 
subdivisions, and consequently more fencing 
will be required, and more labor must be ex- 
pended, in keeping them in repair. Besides, 
the crops will interfere with each other, and 
frequently so distract the attention of the pro- 
prietor, as to disable him from applying the 
necessary labor to each distinct crop, in due 
time, and proper degree. Hence all may suffer, 
more or less, for the want of the appropriate at- 
tention, in due time. 
The advantages of a division of labor apply 
as well to agricultural, as to other pursuits ; and 
every farmer who shall make the experiment, 
will find that, by directing his efforts to the pro- 
duction of a few only, of the various articles to 
which our soil is adapted, he will succeed better, 
both as relates to profit and the improvement 
of the soil, than if he had embraced a wider 
range in his agricultural pursuits. Influenced 
the commencement of the process, it will be in 
fine condition for hemp, when that crop suc- 
ceeds the preceding crops of corn, rye, and clover. 
The following table is adapted to a farm of 
300 acres, 75 supposed to be woodland, and 
225 acres cleared. Four fields of fifty acres 
each are appropriated to the rotation crops, and 
the other twenty-five may be considered as ap- 
propriated to meadow, hemp seed, garden, 
orchard, and vegetables. The principles of the 
rotation may be applied to smaller, or more ex- 
tensive farms: — - 
ROTATION OF POUR FIELDS OF FIFTY ACRES EACH, 
HEMP BEING ONE. 
Year. No. 1. No. 2. No. & No. 4 
1851 
Corn. 
1852 
1853 
Rye. 
Clover. 
1854 
Corn. 
1855 
1856 
Rye. 
Clover. 
1857 
1858 
Hemp, 
do. 
1859 
do. 
1860 
do. 
1861 
do. 
1862 
do. 
1863 
Corn. 
1864 
1865 
Rye. 
Clover. 
1866 
Corn. 
1867 
1868 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
The foregoing rotation will be easily under- 
stood by an inspection of the table. It will be 
seen that the product of each year, will be one 
crop each of corn, clover, rye, and hemp. The 
woodland should be cleared up and set in blue 
grass. The clover crop may be pastured till 
the rye is ripe, and then all stock should be re- 
moved, and the young clover suffered to grow 
up and ripen, and should be plowed under late 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Hemp, 
do. 
Corn. 
do. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
do. 
do. 
Corn. 
do. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Corn. 
Corn. 
Rye. 
Clover 
Rye. 
Clover. 
Hemp, 
do. 
Corn. 
do. 
Rye. 
Clover. 
do. 
do. 
Corn. 
do. 
