PERUVIAN GUANO ON WHEAT AND GRASS.—ETC. 
271 
mates, and instances occur of the combat praving 
fatal to one or both. 
By a letter from General O’Brien to Mr. William 
Walton, who received a gold medal in 1842, from 
the Highland and Agricultural Society, for a 
s< Satisfactory Account founded on Actual Observa¬ 
tion and Experiment, to naturalize in Scotland, the 
Alpaca,” we learn that “ In Peru, the rutting season 
commences in the month of November, when the 
male alpaca throws off his tame and quiet habits, 
pursuing the females until he separates from the 
hock one of his own choice. Her he woos with 
the most ardent demonstrations; and if she proves 
coy and runs away, he follows her through the 
country for miles, and until his importunities have 
been successful. At this moment, the flocks of 
both alpacas and llamas sometimes break up and 
disperse, running in different directions through the 
country, and weeks may elapse before the owner 
is able to collect them again. Hence, when this 
season approaches, the Indian shuts up his sheep, 
separating the male from the female, in pens, pur¬ 
posely constructed in such a manner as to allow of 
their putting their faces together, and caressing 
each other a week or a fortnight before the day ap¬ 
pointed to bring them out.” 
Owing to the extremely lascivious disposition, 
however, of the Andes sheep, great care must be 
observed when th& males are admitted to the 
females. Both by night and by day the shepherd 
should be vigilant; for besides quarrelling with one 
another, where two males are allowed to compete for 
the same female, they might trample her to death. 
Hence every possible precaution ought to be used 
to keep them apart. Upon this point General 
O’Brien remarks, that should the alpaca ever be 
introduced into Great Britain, on a large scale, and 
as a national benefit, breeders must adopt the Peru¬ 
vian mode of separating the males from the females, 
at least a fortnight before the union of the sexes 
takes place, and in order to prevent their wander¬ 
ing away. 
“ In some parts of Peru,” Mr. Walton observes, 
“ the llameros prepare small folds, in which they 
shut up one of each sex. The male begins his 
caresses by antic tricks and boundings ; the female, 
at first, appears shy, and moans, while at intervals 
one spits at the other. After a day or two they 
become more intimate, when at length the female, 
with her fore-legs bent under her, and resting on 
her breast, assumes that position in which only she 
can receive the embraces of her mate; but this is 
not a forced prosternation on her part. It is, on 
the contrary, the easy and natural posture which 
she takes when reposing. If she evinces anything 
like caprice, and difficulties should arise from her 
repugnance to assume the position required, the 
keepers place a slip-noose, called pajal, on the 
lower part of the fore-legs, when pulling from be¬ 
hind, they trip her up, and alighting on her breast, 
with their assistance, she easily receives the act of 
generation. The state of excitement into which 
the male has been worked up, is at this moment so 
great, that he is immediately afterwards turned out 
separate, and left to repose, never being coupled 
twice in the same day. One, however, suffices for 
twenty females.” 
PERUVIAN GUANO ON WHEAT AND GRASS. 
On the light soils of Long Island, and generally 
around New York, Peruvian guano has proved, the 
past year, one of the best and cheapest manures 
which can be applied to the wheat crop. We 
think we are safe in saying, that so far as our ob¬ 
servation extends, an application of 300 lbs. of 
Peruvian guano per acre, costing $7 to $8, has 
produced an increase in the yield of the crop of 
wheat of from 7 to 12 bushels per acre, and the 
after benefit of the guano on the succeeding hay- 
crop, may be counted upon as equivalent to a ton 
and a quarter of hay extra in the three succeeding 
years; thus proving that a pure article of guano, 
judiciously applied, is a profitable fertilizer. 
If the soil is not leachy or exposed to be washed 
by winter rains, we will recommend that guano be 
applied to wheat, rye, or grass, in the fall of the 
year, otherwise as early as March the following 
spring. Some sow guano and harrow it in either 
before or with the seed. Being so powerful a ma¬ 
nure, and when coming directly in contact with the 
young roots of plants, burning and killing them, we 
think that this system is more or less hazardous; 
we would therefore recommend those using guano 
for winter grain, to let the plant get up about three 
weeks high, and then sow broad-cast upon it, at 
the rate of 300 lbs. of Peruvian, or 400 lbs. of 
African per acre. Tf the causticity of the guano 
destroys some or even many of the leaves of the 
plants, it is of no great importance; for by this 
time they will have become well rooted, and others 
will immediately spring up to supply their place. 
The great benefit of applying guano, and indeed all 
other manures, to grain and grass crops in the fall, 
is, that they remain a slight covering to the ground, 
assist in keeping it warm, are gradually decom¬ 
posing, and by early spring become soluble and 
well prepared for the crop to take them up and 
assimilate their elements for its rapid growth. It 
has been ascertained in England, that a crop of 
grass or grain guanoed in the fall, will ripen from 
a week to ten days earlier than the same would 
under similar circumstances un-guanoed. Before 
purchasing guano, we advise every farmer to look 
about him and gather up and apply all the manure 
and fertilizing substances that he can find upon or 
around his premises. Let him remember that a 
penny saved is twopence earned, and that it is 
easier to save than to earn. 
Deterioration of Barn-Yard Manure.— 
Dung, in the opinion of the late Judge Peters, be¬ 
gins to deteriorate after it is one year old. “ I have 
put it on,” says he, “ after lying several years, with¬ 
out any perceptible benefit. But the practice of 
plowing in hot and fresh dung, has often been to me 
a subject of regret. It not only produces smutty 
crops, inparts,over stimulated, but cannot be equally 
spread or covered, so that much straw and little grain 
appear in spots, which often lie down; and, in 
others, scarcely any advantage is derived. Muck, 
composted, will keep the longest, without injury to 
its fertilizing qualities. Dung and muck, in con¬ 
fined places, from which free air and moisture are 
excluded, undergo a degree of combustion, and 
I become dry-rotten, mouldy, and useless ” 
