THE CULTIVATOR. 
291 
considered it the destructive agent m producing sickness 
and death when human beings were exposed to the ex- 
nalations of masses of animal and vegetable substances in 
a. state of putrefaction. Septon he considered an elemen¬ 
tary substance capable of entering into numerous combi¬ 
nations, and by uniting with oxygen forming Septic acid, 
and this when associated with potash producing Septite 
of potash or common salt-petre. 
This explanation is necessary to understand his remarks 
on Septon as a manure. We may consider the terms 
Azote, Nitrogen and Septon, as equivalent terms. Other 
chemists have not adopted the word Septon, but Dr. 
Mitchill made it the agent in explaining his ideas of the 
action of pestilential fluids and the operation of manures. 
Further remarks on Septon or Azote as a manure, must 
be deferred to our next number, lest we encroach too 
much on the columns of the Cultivator and the patience 
of its readers. 
Staten Island, July 5, 1844. 
We are now, Mr. Editor, in the midst of our harvest, 
being somewhat earlier than last year. The season has 
been favorable, and crops look well. Wheat, rye, bar¬ 
ley, oats, corn, grass and potatoes all have a promising 
aspect. I began my hay harvest on the 24th of June, and 
wheat is this day falling into the cradle, one week earli¬ 
er than in 1843. Respectfully yours. Richmond. 
HABITS OF THE CURCULIO. 
The late Willis Gaylord in his treatise on “ Insects in¬ 
jurious to the Farmer and Gardener,’’* says, “ The plum 
tree, both in its fruit and its wood, seems peculiarly lia¬ 
ble to the attacks of insects. The principal of these, is 
the Rhynchcenus nenuphar, or plum weevil. Did [this] 
beetle confine its ravages to the fruit of these trees alone, 
the damage would be small, compared with what it ac¬ 
tually is; since not only the fruit, but the tree itself is 
frequently killed by them. Every one conversant with 
fruit, has observed the black unsightly masses that col ¬ 
lect on branches of the plum tree, some varieties of the 
cherry tree, and in some cases in swellings or gummy 
protuberances on the peach tree. These are occasioned 
by the same insect as that which destroys the fruit.” 
This opinion of my late respected friend was not pe¬ 
culiar to him, for the same has been advanced by other 
writers, though doubtless without sufficient evidence. 
The curculio had been very troublesome in this vicinity 
for thirty years before I observed a single excrescence 
on any plum tree, though I had frequently heard of this 
malady at the eastward, and was apprised of its advances 
in this direction. Now to a mind capable of apprecia¬ 
ting the force of evidence, these facts must be conclu¬ 
sive against that opinion, unless the curculio has recently 
acquired this habit. 
Circumstances tend to show however, that the curcu¬ 
lio has not acquired this habit. I have not observed the 
te Black Gum” to spare any variety of the plum in my 
possession, neither does the curculio spare the fruit; but 
there are many trees on which I have detected this insect 
in great numbers, year after year, and yet not an excres¬ 
cence has been produced. What then is the inference? 
Why, that the curculio never causes an excrescence, 
though possibly it may deposit a nit in the tumor when 
it has arisen. 
In the same valuable treatise, to strengthen that position 
by analogy,a remark of Kollar's has been brought forward: 
that the plum weevils of Europe, in default of plums, 
make use of the soft spring shoots of the plum and apri¬ 
cot trees. So different however, are the habits of differ¬ 
ent species, that the charge against our little neighbor, 
must receive very little support from this suggestion; 
and more especially when plums in abundance, unpunc 
lured by the curculio, are found on the same branches 
with the “ black gum.” Here there is no “default;” 
and it proves clearly, in my opinion, that this excres¬ 
cence is a different and separate concern, caused doubt¬ 
lessly by some other insect. 
Further,—It is very questionable, if the plum tree is 
disfigured by the same insect that destroys the cherry 
Transactions of the New-York State Ag. Society, Vol. 3. 
tree. It has now been several years since the “ black 
gum” first appeared in this neighborhood; and though I 
have many kinds of the cherry, including the morello 
which has suffered so much in the southern parts of Penn 
sylvania, yet I have never discovered a trace of this ma 
lady on any cherry tree in this district.* D. T. 
Greatjield, Cayuga co., 7 mo. 18, 18-14. 
ANALYSES OF GUANO. 
Laboratory of the New-York Agricultural Institute, ? 
University of New-York, Aug. 16, 1844. $ 
The arrival of guano from the African coast, in 
large quantities, into New-York, has induced the Far¬ 
mer’s Club to require of me an analysis of the article, and 
remarks upon its value, as compared with that from Peru. 
I would have been content with selecting for the Club 
the analyses given in the Chemical Gazette and Jameson’s 
Journal, had not an inspection of those labors developed 
a remarkable difference between the African and Peruvi¬ 
an specimens, so great as to call forth a doubt on the 
part of Dr. Draper and myself as to the accuracy of the 
examinations. To test the matter, and assure myself on 
this point, I proceeded to a fresh analysis, and have now 
the honor of submitting my results to your numerous 
readers. 
Analysis of Af rican Guano. 
Oxalate of ammonia, - - - -.* - 16.0 
Phosphate, muriate and carbonate of ammonia, with animal 
matter,.120 
Humic acid,.4.0 
Oxalate of lime,.10.0 
Phosphate, sulphate and muriate of soda and potass, - - - 8.5 
Phosphate of iime and magnesia,.36.5 
Silica from the crop ofthe birds,..5 
Water,.12.5 
100.0 
The specimen had a specific gravity of 1.5 and was 
soluble to the extent of 45 per cent, of a light brown co¬ 
lor, and covered with spots of white, increasing in size 
as the guano became dry—all of which signs indicated 
its excellence. 
The analyses of Dr. Davy, Mr. Francis, and Dr. Ure, 
are as follows : 
Davy. 
Francis. 
Ure. 
Oxalate of ammonia with muriate, phos 
phate and animal matter, - - - - 
Ammonia in a separate form, - - - 
40.2 
32.89 
34 0 
— 
9.70 
9.5 
Salts of potash and soda,. 
6.4 
7.08 
6.0 
Phosphates of lime and magnesia, - 
28.2 
22.32 
18.5 
Silica,. 
— 
.81 
0.5 
Uric acid ,.. - - - - 
— 
a trace. 
3.0 
Water, &c., . 
25.2 
27.13 
28.5 
100.0 
100.00 
100.0 
The point to which I referred as indicating a remark¬ 
able difference, is the absence of uric acid and urate of 
ammonia, which are the striking and valuable ingredi¬ 
ents of Peruvian Guano. In my analyses, I tested 6 spe¬ 
cimens, and could find no trace of those bodies, although 
incredulous as to their absence; Dr. Davy, (Sir Humph¬ 
rey’s brother,) also made numerous attempts to detect it 
in many separate examinations, but found it always ab¬ 
sent. Mr. Francis was equally assured that it did not 
amount to 1.100th per cent. In Dr. Ure’s analysis, 3 
per cent is given, but with due defference to that expe¬ 
rienced chemist, I may doubt whether he pursued his in¬ 
quiry to the production of purpuric acid, without which 
the nature of the precipitate cannot be distinguished from 
humic acid, of which both Francis and myself obtained 
3.5 and 4 per cent, whilst Dr. Ure does not mention its 
occurrence. 
If there is a point settled in the varying composition 
of Guano, it is, that the African variety contains no Uric 
acid, whilst brown Peruvian contains from 10 to 25 per 
cent. 
This question is not merely of chemical interest—it is 
all important to the farmer. For these salts, oxalate of 
ammonia in African, and urate of ammonia or uric acid 
in South American, severally represent the expensive and 
t Since writing the above, I have been told of a cherry tree infested 
by the “black gum,” some miles from this place. Perhaps it indi¬ 
cates the arrival of the same insect that has been so destructive in 
Pennsylvania. 
