The Hon. Willoughby Newton, of Westmoreland County, was one of the
earliest and most successful experimenters in the use of guano in
Virginia. He owns large and productive farms on the Potomac, but on
account of the forest land being more healthy for a residence, he bought
a tract of it for that purpose; not having any design of ever putting it
into cultivation. In fact, it was so poor he could not. The manure of
the farm, if it had not been wanted there, was several miles
distant--too far to haul; and so the land lay an uncultivated,
unprofitable barren waste around his fine mansion; but it did not lay so
very long after he discovered the renovating power of guano. It is now
annually covered with broad fields of wheat, from which he has realized
upwards of twenty bushels to the acre; and the most luxuriant growths of
clover upon which he can pasture any amount of stock he pleases, where
three years previous a goat would have found difficulty in sustaining
life. Mr. Newton's first experiment--what was then an experiment is now
a certainty--was made with African guano. But we will give the account
of his operations in his own straight-forward, easily understood,
farmer-like language.
"In the effect of _guano_, especially the Peruvian, I have never been
disappointed. I have used it now for four years, with entire
satisfaction having each year been induced to enlarge my expenditure,
until last year it reached eight hundred dollars, and for the crop of
wheat this fall it exceeds one thousand. I have observed with
astonishment its effect in numerous instance on the poor "forest lands"
alluded to in a former part of this address. What the turnip and sheep
husbandry have done for the light lands of Great Britain, the general
use of guano promises to do for ours. Lands a few years ago deemed
entirely incapable of producing wheat, now produce the most luxuriant
crops. From 15 to 20 bushels for one sowed, is the ordinary product on
our poorest lands, from the application of 200 lbs. of Peruvian guano. I
may remark, it is not usual, in Eastern Virginia, to sow more than a
bushel of wheat to the acre, and that I deem amply sufficient. Upon this
subject I hope a few details may not be considered tedious or
uninteresting. I applied last fall $350 worth of guano, partly Peruvian
and partly Patagonian, on a poor farm "in the forest," which cost a few
years ago four dollars an acre, and reaped 1089 bushels of beautiful
wheat from 78 sowed. Forty-six bushels were sowed on fallow, (both guano
and wheat put in with the cultivator, followed by a heavy harrow,) and
yielded 790 bushels or over 17-1/4 for one. A considerable part of this
was dressed with Patagonian guano, and was much inferior to the other
portion. A lot on which 15 bushels was sowed, and dressed with Peruvian
guano, was threshed separately, and yielded 301 bushels, or over 20 for
one. The whole cost of the farm was $1520, and I have good reason to
expect with a favorable season from the crop now sowed and dressed with
guano, a bushel of wheat for every dollar of the prime cost of the farm.
Many other instances of profit from the use of guano, equally striking
have occurred among my neighbors and friends, but I confine myself to
those stated, because having come under my immediate observation, I can
vouch for their entire accuracy. It has been frequently objected to the
use of guano, that it is not permanent. It would be unreasonable to
expect great permanent improvement from a manure so active, and which
yielded go large a profit on the first crop. Yet I have seen some
striking evidences of its permanency in heavy crops of clover,
succeeding wheat, and in the increase of the crop of wheat on a second
application. As an instance, I may mention that two years ago I sowed
upon a single detached acre of "forest land," one bushel of wheat and
dressed it with a barrel of African guano, costing $4, and the yield was
seventeen bushels. Last fall the same land, after remaining one year in
clover, was again sowed with one bushel of wheat and dressed with 140
lbs. of Peruvian guano, costing $3, and the product was 22 bushels. Yet
I would advise no one to rely upon guano exclusively. Its analysis shows
that it contains salts of ammonia, alkaline phosphates and the other
mineral elements necessary to produce the grain of wheat, but is
deficient in most of the elements of the straw and roots of the plants.
Hence, (says Liebig) 'a rational agriculturist, in using guano, cannot
dispense with stable dung.' We should, therefore, be careful not to
exhaust the soil of organic manures, but by retaining the straw of the
wheat, and occasionally a crop of clover, which plant contains a large
percentage of the alkaline carbonates, which are entirely wanting in
Guano, furnish all the elements necessary to the entire wheat plant. In
this view of the subject, and for many other reasons that I cannot stop
to enumerate, there cannot be, when guano is extensively used, a more
judicious rotation than the Pamunky five field system, in which clover
occupies a prominent place. I have now enumerated some of the most
prominent means by which you may "keep your land rich." I would not
discourage the use of others. Science is daily making discoveries in the
art of enriching the earth, and we should discard nothing, without a
trial, which promises to be useful; always bearing in mind that the
wisest economy is entirely consistent with the most liberal expenditure,
in the purchase of manures, provided we take care, by judicious
experiments and observation, to ascertain their efficacy, and that we
get back our capital, with an actual _net_ profit _in cash_, on all our
investments. This latter caution is indispensable, in our country, where
new lands are so abundant and cheap, that highly improved farms can
never be rated in the market at their true value."
"The various manures compounded by chemists and manufacturers, should
also engage your careful attention. They should not be recklessly thrown
aside as humbugs, without trial or investigation, nor adopted and
extensively used with blind confidence in their efficacy. I have used
many of these manures by way of experiment, and the profit realized upon
them has not justified me in enlarging my operations. Poudrette,
manufactured in Baltimore; Bommers manure, Chappel's fertilizer and
Kentish & Co.'s prepared guano, (used, it is true, upon a small scale,)
have not realized the promises made in their behalf. Yet I would by no
means discourage the praiseworthy efforts of the manufacturers, and hope
they will persevere until, by lessening the bulk and increasing the
power of their compounds, they may be able to prepare an article that
for cheapness, convenience of application and efficacy, shall equal or
surpass the best Peruvian guano."
That desideratum, Professor Mapes believes he has already attained by
the addition of superphosphate of lime to the Guano, making a compound
of two-thirds of the latter to one of the former, more valuable by
weight than the pure article. That being the case will greatly increase
the consumption of Guano, and greatly improve the condition of all that
class of farmers who desire to make their poor lands rich.
Of the use of lime, Mr. Newton has the following testimony, which we
embody here for its great practical value.
"Calcareous matter is the great want of most of our lands, and in some
form is essential to permanent improvement. It should be regarded as the
basis of all our operations, and never to be dispensed with for any
substitute. From long experience in the use of lime, I am satisfied that
the French plan, of light and frequent dressings, is not only much more
economical, but much safer, in our climate, than the heavy dressings
common in Great Britain. Fifty bushels of slaked lime to the acre, I
have found amply sufficient for any of our lands, and a greater quantity
often attended with injury to the soil and crops, whilst twenty-five
bushels will answer every purpose on thin lands, deficient in vegetable
matter. Ashes, bone dust, and the various marine manures that abound on
the shores of the Chesapeake and its tributaries, will be found
important auxiliaries in the work of 'keeping your lands rich,' whilst
the necessity of clover and the proper grasses, to any system of
permanent improvement, is too obvious to require comment."
Although caustic lime should never be used in connection, or so as to
come in contact with the Guano, there is no doubt of its being a
valuable auxiliary. Upon land limed this year, Guano may be used next,
and if mixed with charcoal or plaster, or plowed in and thoroughly
incorporated with the soil, especially if it contains a considerable
portion of clay, no loss of ammonia will occur, in consequence of the
action of the lime. On the contrary, the effect will be to make the
action of the Guano more active, and the immediate benefit greater;
though, of course the succeeding crops would not receive as great a
share. But, as Mr. Newton says, ought we to ask for great advantages to
succeeding crops, from a manure which gives us such great profits from
the present one.
From our notes taken upon the spot, we give a few items more in detail
of Mr. Newton's operations, than he has done in the preceding
quotations. The tract of land he speaks of is gently undulating; of a
sandy loam, with a greater amount of clay in the subsoil; had been
literally _worn out_ in former years by the shallow plowing, skinning
system of farming, until it would produce no more, when it was abandoned
and suffered to grow up again in forest timber, principally pine of the
"old field" species. No land could offer less inducements to the
cultivator or give smaller hope of renovation, than these old fields of
Virginia. Such was the conviction of impossibility to raise a crop upon
this kind of land, that Mr. Newton's first essay was looked upon by his
neighbors with a conviction that the fool and his money would soon part
company. One sensible old servant told us he thought his master "for
sartain was done gone crazy, cause he nebber seed no nothing grow on dat
land, no how could fix him." The negroes, wherever guano has been
introduced, have been violently opposed to using it; not alone from its
disagreeable odor and effect upon the throat and nostrils while handling
it in a dry state; but because they could not be persuaded that such a
small measure of stuff--200 lbs. measures about three bushels--could
possibly produce any effect upon the crop. Their astonishment and
consequent extravagant laudation of the effect produced, has often
afforded us hours of amusement while listening to their recital of
"massa's big crop," of perhaps ten bushels to the acre, which was at
least double that of any one ever seen upon the same field, "fore he put
dem little pinch of snuff on him."
_The increase of wheat from guano_ may be safely calculated upon at five
bushels for each hundred weight of guano used, one year with another,
and up to what may be considered a fair judicious amount to be applied,
which may be set down at an average of 200 lbs to the acre, upon all
light soils, similar to those of that part of the country we are writing
about.
GUANO vs. MANURE--EFFECTS UPON HEAVY LAND.
Mr. Newton related to us an anecdote of some value upon this point. On
one of his Potomac farms, a portion of the land is exceedingly
heavy--pewtery land, as it is termed from its tendency when wet to run
together, presenting a glistening appearance somewhat resembling that
metal. His overseer was about as unbelieving as the negroes, and
declared he could beat the guano by expending the same value in manure
upon a given quantity of surface. To test this and also to try its
effect upon the stiff land, he applied a little short of one ton of
Peruvian, which cost $50 upon ten acres, and promised a premium to the
overseer if he could make a greater crop by the use of all the manure,
men and teams he saw fit to apply to another ten acres lying right along
side, and of the same quality of soil. Of course he spared no labor,
using both lime and manure freely, but in the spring finding the
appearance of his crop unequal to that guanoed, he gave it a top
dressing of fine manure and a good working with the harrow. At harvest
the guanoed portion was ready for the sickle several days earlier than
the other, and yielded 135 bushels of a quality so very superior, it was
all reserved for seed for himself and neighbors.
The product of the other was 55 bushels; difference in favor of the
guano, 80 bushels--8 bushels to the acre--while the value of extra
manuring, probably exceeded the cost of guano, without any material
advantage in the effect upon succeeding crops. In fact, it is probable,
that the additional growth of straw and clover would be worth more to
the next crop on the guanoed portion, than the undecomposed manure and
lime would be in the other. It is needless to say both overseer and
servants, were fully convinced of the virtue of guano after this
experiment.
According to our notes, Mr. Newton first used guano in 1846--one ton of
Ichaboe at $30, on 8 acres, with 8 bushels of seed, upon land so deadly
poor, that an old negro we conversed with said; "him so done gone massa,
wouldn't grow poverty grass nuff to make hen's nest for dis nigger." No
attempt had been made for years to grow any crop, not even oats or rye,
the last effort of expiring nature to yield sustenance to man upon one
of those old worn out Virginia farms. Think of the astonishment of the
poor negro, who thought his master crazy to sow wheat there _without
manure_, to see 88 bushels harvested from the 8 acres.
In 1847, he used $100 worth of Patagonian upon same kind of land and
reaped 330 bushels. In 1848, $200 worth of Patagonian and Chilian at $40
and $30 a ton, gave 540 bushels, which sold at $1 25, mostly for seed,
on account of its superior quality. In each case the advantage to the
land of equal value as to the crop. In 1849, he applied 10 tons Peruvian
at $47, and 11 tons Patagonian at $30, upon 260 acres, from 75 to 250
lbs. to the acre. When we saw this crop the next spring, the appearance
in favor of the Peruvian, was fully 50 per cent. upon the same cost of
each kind per acre.
In 1850 he applied 30 tons, of course, all Peruvian, with equal success
to former years.
Mr. Newton says, the second application of guano to the same land
produces the best result--that notwithstanding the profit of the first
application in the increased crop, the profit to the land is always
greater.
Before leaving Mr. Newton, we will place on record one expression highly
creditable to him, and convincing in its palpable truth of the value put
upon this fertilizer, by a gentlemen of sound judgment and candor of
speech, equal to any other within the circle of our acquaintance.
"I look upon the introduction of guano and the success attending its
application to our barren lands, in the light of a special interposition
of Divine Providence, to save the northern neck of Virginia from
reverting entirely into its former state of wilderness and utter
desolation. Until the discovery of guano--more valuable to us than the
mines of California--I looked upon the possibility of renovating our
soil, of ever bringing it up to a point capable of producing
remunerating crops as utterly hopeless. Our up-lands were all worn out,
and our bottom lands fast failing, and if it had not been for guano, to
revive our last hope, a few years more and the whole country must have
been deserted by all who desired to increase their own wealth, or
advance the cause of civilization by a profitable cultivation of the
earth."
We are satisfied that the above opinion will be considered of more
value--more conclusive in favor of guano, by all who are acquainted with
the character of Willoughby Newton, than all else contained in the pages
of this pamphlet.