AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
307 
important. As Mr. Settle has suggested, the 
wet soil, at the approach of frost, is thrown up 
irregularly, and the roots of the plants are dis¬ 
turbed. 
J. Suttle. Frost also ruptures the sap ves¬ 
sels of plants growing in a wet soil more than 
when the soil is dry, as they are tilled with 
watery sap; at least so I understand the effect 
produced. 
P. B. Mead requested Mr. Gamgee to state 
his method of cultivating hisj'oses, as he knew 
him to be a successful grower. 
Mr. Ga.mgee. I have little pretensions to 
speaking, but have no objection to furnish any 
information I possess for the benefit of those 
present. There is no difficulty in preparing 
soil for roses; they require what is known by 
a good, rich soil, or a light, loamy soil, which 
may be obtained by paring off about four inches 
of an unworked pasture field, and to this add 
about one-sixth of weli-rotten farm-yard ma¬ 
nure, which has not been allowed to heat; such 
a compost will suit well. A border where the 
sub-soil is about eighteen inches deep, and the 
surface-soil such as has been recommended, 
will produce vigorous plants. 
A. Reed. The exposure of roses has not 
been sufficiently treated of; I would rather err 
in the choice of soil than in the choice of situa¬ 
tion. 
Mr. Burgess. I am disposed to refer to Mr. 
Mead’s elephant on the pole. 1 am a great ad¬ 
mirer of standard roses, and would plant them 
extensively in the lawn, where they might be 
looked upon from the windows without appear¬ 
ing at all bare. I would have an elephant in 
the center, and lions, tigers, aud monkeys in 
rotation. Liquid manure should be applied, 
and I would prefer stable manure mixed up 
with water; one pail of drainings to two pails of 
water, and use two gallons for each plant. The 
stems require some protection from the sun’s 
rays. 
Pruning. 
P. B. Mead. The objects of pruning are, 
first, the general benefit of the bush by im¬ 
proving its shape; second, the production of 
free bloom. The plant should be closely ex¬ 
amined before commencing, and old wood cut 
out wherever it can be done, leaving the 
youngest wood in preference. Some varieties, 
such as the Harrisonii, and others of that sec¬ 
tion, require a different treatment, as they pro 
duce their bloom on the small lateral shoots. 
Without a plant before me it would be a diffi¬ 
cult matter to make the operation clear to some 
of those present, while it is useless to repeat it 
to profes-fional gardeners. The Remontants 
Teas and Bourbons should be shortened into a 
few eyes, as it will be found that the eyes 
nearest the main stem always produce the best 
flowers. 
In regard to the use of special manures , 
a few words will suffice. Guano water is very 
useful if carefully applied, and sometimes guano 
is used in a dry state by scattering it over the 
surface. Super-phosphate of lime and poud- 
rette are also good ; they are very appropriate 
in the fall, when manure is required. 
J. Settle. Stable droppings mixed up with 
water is in my opinion the safest and best ma¬ 
terial. Hot-bed manure is far less valuable 
than when used fresh ; heating injures it much. 
J. E. Rauch. I have found bone-dust a very 
valuable manure for roses. 
Some discussion followed as to the treatment 
of manure heaps. 
The subject of the Cultivation of the Rose 
having- been fully discussed, the selection of a 
subject was the next business. The Cultivation 
of a General Collection of Green-house Plants 
was proposed by David Scott. 
A. Reed proposed the Laying out of Country 
Residences. During the conversation on this 
question, Mr. Mead, speaking of Landscape 
Gardening, stated that there was no such thing 
as landscape gardening, properly so called in 
this country, and further, there never will be! 
The late Mr. Downing labored to create such a 
taste, but it is incompatible with our institutions. 
This may appear an extreme ground to take, 
but it is, nevertheless, my conviction. Suburban 
gardening may flourish, but beyond that there 
is no landscape gardening. I " ould prefer 
leaving the subject over for the present. 
The Cultivation of the Camellia was decided 
upon as the subject for discussion at next meet¬ 
ing, on Monday evening, Jan. 23d. 
The discussion was highly interesting to those 
present, and gave general satisfaction. 
PERUVIAN GUANO-FUTURE SUPPLY. 
The present and future supply of Peruvian 
guano is at the present time exciting a great 
deal of interest in this country as well as in 
England, and we are looking out for all informa¬ 
tion we can obtain that will throw light on the 
subject. We bear vague reports of filibustering 
schemes concocting at the capitol against Peru. 
These reports we trust are without foundation. 
Two weeks since we published the report of 
Admiral Moresby to the British Government, 
which placed the prospective supply of guano 
much below' the previous vague estimates. We 
find in the London Times a letter making some 
strictures upon the admiralty report and its 
conclusions, which suggests some new thoughts 
on the subject, and we copy the letter entire, 
premising that the writer omits to include in 
his estimates the amount brought away from 
the Chincha Islands by other countries than 
England. He perhaps is not aware of the fleet 
of Yankee ships engaged in the business on 
home account. 
We also invite attention to what the writer 
says of the value of nitrate of soda, an article, 
j which we some time since predicted would soon 
take the place of, or powerfully compete with, 
guano as a fertilizer. The letter is as follows : 
Admiral Moresby’s dispatch has narrowed 
this question materially. Its immediate result 
has been to tighten the guano market, the 
Liverpool branch of the Peruvian agency hav¬ 
ing already refused to accept further orders for 
guano. As an unprecendented supply, for the 
coming season at any rate, is known to be on its 
way, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the 
present refusal to receive orders is preparatory 
to the imposition of a higher price, and not in 
anticipation of immediately diminished supplies. 
Before acceding to this, it would be right that 
purchasers should consider their position, and 
in how far it has been really altered by the 
report of Admiral Moresby. In passing, it may 
be noticed that his dispatches were first pub¬ 
lished by a newspaper friendly to the monopoly, 
and at a most opportune moment for stopping 
the general movement by the agricultural, mer¬ 
cantile, and shipping interests, to arouse the 
attention of the government to the injurious 
nature of the monopoly. The authenticity of 
the dispatches is not doubted; but the wisdom 
of placing them before the public so hurriedly, 
and without more detailed information, may cer¬ 
tainly be questioned. 
Admiral Moresby writes, that he has “ con¬ 
fidence in the data given by Mr. M’lntosh,” the 
gentleman who surveyed the islands, which, 
however, seems not to be shared by Mr. M’lntosh 
himself, who thus describes his survey: “The 
examination— -for I cannot call it survey —taken 
by your order, was necessarily exceedingly 
rough and imperfect, both by reason of short¬ 
ness of time, and the want of proper instru¬ 
ments, as well as a desire not to excite observa¬ 
tion.” And yet, from a hurried examination, 
which the person who made it describes as ex¬ 
ceedingly rough and imperfect , the important 
guano trade of this country has been thrown 
into temporary confusion! Fortunately, we 
are not without additional intormatiori. 
A correspondent, for whom I can vouch, 
writes me as follows: “We had information 
by the last mail of the very best description, 
and of a private nature, that the French en¬ 
gineer who was employed by that government 
to survey the islands gave in his report at 12,- 
000,000 tons.” The Peruvian government de¬ 
clared the result of their last survey at 26,000- 
000 tons on the three islands. Admiral Moresby 
gives 8,600,000. Neither the French nor Eng¬ 
lish government has any interest in blinding the 
public; so that we shall probably he more safe 
to take the estimates their officers have given, 
and throw the Peruvian estimate out of consid¬ 
eration. The mean of the French and English 
estimate gives 10,300,000 tons as still remaining 
on the three islands. But these are not the 
8 nly guano deposits on the coasts of Peru. Be¬ 
tween latitudes 3° and 22° south, there are many 
other deposits known to exist; one rock in la¬ 
titude 21°, called Pavilion dc Pica, is estimated 
to contain about '90,000 tons, and from it the 
first cargo of Peruvian guano was taken, though 
soon abandoned in favor of the Chincha Islands, 
owing to the greater facilities for shipment, as 
well as the extent of the deposit at the latter. 
Then there are the Lobos and other islands, on 
which, from information laid before Parliament, 
there appears to be altogether about 8,500,000 
tons. This gives a total of 18,800,000 tons still 
remaining on the coast of Peru. 
Now, let us look at our annual consumption. 
In the ten years to 1852 the entire quantity of 
guano of all kinds imported was 1,019,928 tons. 
But during the last three years the consumption 
of Peruvian guano has considerably increased. 
The average annual importation into this coun¬ 
try for these three years has been 163,276 tons, 
and 27,151 tons to other countries; or say 200,- 
000 tons altogether, at which rate the Chincha 
Islands would last 50 years yet. If we add the 
other deposits on the Peruvian coasts, as above 
mentioned, we have a supply, at the present 
rate of consumption, for the next 90 to 100 years. 
But, suppose the trade were opened, and that 
the consequence should be an increase of 50 per 
cent, to the annual export from Peru, there would 
still remain 34 years’ supply from the Chirichas, 
and upwards of 60 years’ supply from all sources 
on the Peruvian coast. 
Nor is Peru the only source whence guano 
comes. Of the whole importation last year two- 
thirds came from Peru, and one-third from other 
quarters. The high rate of freights, no doubt, 
will for a time prevent the introduction of gua¬ 
noes of low quality. Still, we must not throw 
these out of our estimate, as they will at once 
come into play should any attempt be made to 
raise the price of Peruvian. Besides this, any 
increase in the price of Peruvian guano will 
bring into operation every attainable substitute, 
whether flesh from the great plains of South 
America, or refuse fish from Newfoundland or 
our own coasts; or, better than either, it may 
stimulate science to eliminate, concentrate, and 
render portable the natural products of this 
great city, and convert a noxious nuisance into 
a perennial mine of wealth. 
Then, again, guano is not the only source of 
nitrogen. Nitrate of soda yields it in equal 
abundance, and I have the highest authority 
for saying that a body of facts have been col¬ 
lected which show beyond doubt that, for every 
purpose for which Peruvian guano is applicable, 
nitrate of soda, at the present relative price of 
the two articles, has proved in England at least 
equally efficacious. Here, then, is a formidable 
rival to guano for our corn crops; and for green 
crops it has not only nitrate of soda as a com¬ 
petitor, but every form of phosphate of lime, 
whether super-phosphate, cropolites, crushed 
bones, or “ turnip manure” of every' kind which 
the enterprise and ingenuity of our manure 
manufacturers have brought into profitable use. 
One of the best crops of Swedes of this season, 
in England, is now growing at Woburn, the 
manure for which was partly dung, and partly 
an animal substance compounded of the refuse 
of the London slaughter-houses 
