348 
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
Instructions for Using Guano. —In the application of 
this valuable manure, it is necessary to keep in view 
itc powerful properties, and to exercise great care to 
prevent its coming into immediate contact with the 
newly sown seed or the foliage of plants and flowers. 
It should never be placed in contact with seeds; for all 
seeds in the process of germination give off a greater 
or less quantity of carbonic acid and vinegar; and 
these acids having strong affinities for the ammoniacal 
portion of the guano, are apt to attract it so powerfully, 
as to check and even destroy vegetation. 
Preparation. —To secure its safe application, it has 
been found most effectual to mix it wi{h about four 
times its own bulk of finely sifted mould, ashes, or char¬ 
coal, or even with sand, if the soil be of a cold clayey 
nature; and that the mixture may be complete, the 
guano should, before mixing, be carefully passed through 
a fine garden sieve. That portion of the guano, such 
as the undecomposed bones, beaks, or claws of birds, 
which can not be passed through the sieve, will never¬ 
theless be found strongly impregnated with ammoni¬ 
acal salts, and by steeping in water, will readily yield 
a rich liquid manure. An intelligent farmer in Dum¬ 
friesshire, in reference to the necessity of mixing the 
guano before applying it to the soil, writes as follows :— 
The objects of mixing guano are, 1. To partly disin¬ 
fect it by absorbing its volatile products and diminishing 
its smell. 2. To separate its active particles, and 
thereby diminish their action on each other. 3. To 
present it to warm soils in a form in which its action 
will be less violent at first, but more protracted and 
steady than when given in an unmixed state. Of 
course, the colder the soil, and the earlier the season 
when sown, the less quantity of mixed is needed, and 
conversely. But as a general rule, it should be mixed 
as equally as possible, with four times its bulk of finely 
sifted, moderately dry, black or brown colored earth, or 
peaty matter, sawdust, slightly burnt clay, charred turf, 
coal or peat ashes, whichever of these substances can 
be most conveniently had. Perhaps newly burnt char¬ 
coal used as soon as cold, is the best matter that can 
be had for mixing; but as it can seldom be at the far¬ 
mer’s command, any of the above matters will answer 
in its stead. 
A mixture, of gypsum with guano can seldom do any 
hurt, and for turneps or clover on light soils, it may 
often be advantageous. 
A very simple and economical mode of preparing 
guano for use, is to spread 2 cwt. of dry sifted mould, 
&c., three or four inches thick; lay 1 cwt. of sifted 
guano over it, and 2 cwt. of the mould, &c., on that 
again; leave the heap for two or three days protected 
from the weather, then let it be well mixed, and sifted 
through a common garden sieve. Thus prepared, it 
can be sown without inconvenience to the farmer, and 
spread without loss evenly over the field. 
Guano maybe also used with equal safety in a liquid 
state, dissolved in water, and perhaps this is the most 
effectual mode of developing its powers, for like all 
concentrated fertilizers, it requires a considerable sup¬ 
ply of moisture, and has always exhibited the most 
productive results during wet seasons. For this reason 
it is particularly desirable that the dry mixture or 
compost, as we shall call it through these directions, 
should be used immediately before rain. But as irri¬ 
gation is too tedious and costly for extensive operations, 
the liquid application is almost necessarily confined to 
the flower and kitchen garden. 
Apportionment. —The quantities in which guano 
should be used, are necessarily regulated by the variety 
of crop and vegetation, also by the period of the sea¬ 
son, the system of cropping, the state of the soil and 
its previous treatment; therefore the applications may 
with propriety vary from 2 cwt. to 8 cwt. per imperial 
acre, when given alone. When a portion of dung, 
bones, or other manure, has been applied, the quantity 
of guano must be correspondingly diminished. In 
apportioning the guano nothing can exceed the accu¬ 
racy of weights and scales; but it may be convenient 
to keep in mind that one bushel of sifted guano weighs 
about 52 lbs. to 54 lbs. For smaller or botanical 
applications, one heaped pint may be reckoned equal to 
1 lb. of sifted guano. 
Application. —The compost may be sown, either 
broadcast or in drills, according to crop ; but the most 
successful applications have been made with the use of 
the common machine employed for drilling the manure 
and seed at the same time, the operation of this 
machine being to deposite the guano compost so much 
deeper than the seed, as to allow a portion of soil to 
intervene. Whichever may be the mode adopted, the 
two primary objects of the application should be accom¬ 
plished, viz., distributing the manure equally and cov¬ 
ering it speedily. 
The above is quoted from a Manual on Guano, by 
James Clark, published in London. 
Effect of Folding Sheep on Wheat. —This experi¬ 
ment was tried on a field in 1843, plowed down and 
prepared for wheat, manuring it with 20 loads of dung, 
mixed with double that quantity of earth, and tilled in 
the following October. In March, 1844, folded Souih- 
down sheep and lambs on it by night, to the proportion 
of from 800 to 1,000 sheep to the acre, changing their 
ground every night, and turning them into grass pas¬ 
ture by day. The difference between the wheat grown 
on the folded ground, and on the portion not folded was 
very manifest! Specimens of wheat affected by the 
foregoing modes of management were produced, fully 
confirming the statements made.— New Farmers’ Jour. 
Monster Mushroom. —A mushroom was gathered on 
Tuesday last in a field belonging to Edmund Hornby, 
Esq., of Dalton Hall, which measured thirty inches in 
circumference, and was upward of one and a half 
inches thick.— lb. 
Number of Bees and Cells in a Hive. —A bee-hive, 
which was opened by Swammerdam, was found to con¬ 
tain one queen bee, 33 males or drones, 5,635 working 
bees, 45 eggs, and 150 worms. Total population, 
5,854 ; for whose accommodation there were 3,392 wax 
cells for the use of the working bees, 62 cells contain¬ 
ing bees’ bread, and 236 cells in which honey had been 
deposited: in all 3,620 cells. From this observation it 
may be presumed that the hives contain 5,000 to 6,000 
inhabitants, among which there is only one female, 
viz., the queen bee, and from 3,000 to 4,000 cells.— lb. 
Yellow Millet.— This is the Chinese peasant’s plant 
par excellence. Its grain is the basis of his nutriment. 
The stalk is food for his cattle, in the place of hay, 
which they have never thought of cutting. The straw 
of another species of millet, which attains a height of 
fifteen feet, is used to make the fences of his garden, 
and serves also for fuel. 
Curious Hen. —There is now in the possession of 
Mr. Hook, boot and shoe maker, Norfolk street, a very 
curious hen. It is without any beak, and resembles the 
face of a dog. It can procure its food with the greatest 
facility, and we understand is complete master of its 
companions. 
A White Swallow was taken out of a nest in Twy- 
ning church last week by a Mr. Thomas Brown, 
plumber, of Tewkesbury, and was kept alive for a 
couple of days. It has since been stuffed. 
