Guano: A Treatise of Practical Information for FarmersRobinson, Solon
Science
Guano: A Treatise of Practical Information for Farmers
Robinson, Solon
Guano
_Guano on Grass._--As we are opposed to using it as a top dressing, of
course we shall not recommend its application to this crop. Generally,
by using it on wheat and other crops, the farmer will save manure enough
to top dress his meadows. Nevertheless, in combination with proper
ingredients, we do say it is a good and profitable manure for grass. For
each acre mix from 200 to 400 lbs. with as many bushels of plaster, or
ten to one of charcoal, or twenty to one of dry swamp muck or peat,
woods mould or fine clay, and sow upon the meadow or pasture early in
spring. If the season is moist, the benefit will be very great; if dry,
it will probably be said, as it has been before; "Oh, this guano is good
for nothing--I tried it once on grass and it never done a bit of good."
_On potatoes_, 400 lbs. to the acre, broadcast, may be used to good
advantage, if it is plowed in deep enough, on clean land. As it is a
caustic manure, and requires a good deal of moisture, as well as
potatoes, it is not suitable for the hill or surface dressing. A less
quantity will pay a greater profit to the immediate crop, without much
after benefit, if it is drilled in the bottom of a deep furrow and then
covered by turning two furrows, one from each side, so as to leave a
slight depression between them, and directly over the guano. Upon these
beds plant the tubers in drills. After hoeing, scatter a mixture of
equal parts of lime, salt, ashes and plaster, a large handful every
yard, all over the rows, and we will warrant the crop free from the
potato rot.
_On turnips_, nothing can exceed guano, unless the phosphate of lime in
bones could be rendered equally pulverulent. Use 3 to 600 lbs. per acre,
and plow it in at the last plowing, and top dress with five bushels of
ashes and two of salt as soon as the turnips are up. Follow with wheat
or rye and grass. One half the above quantity and five bushels of bone
dust dissolved in sulphuric acid, will produce a wonderful crop of
turnips, or ruta bagas. Guano may be used to equal advantage upon all
kinds of root crops.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account