We look upon this as the most preferable of all other systems of farming
ever adopted in the South--it is the system of Edmund Ruffin, to whom
Virginia owes a debt of gratitude beyond her power to pay. It will be
seen from the following extract from a letter of Mr. Newton that that
eminent agriculturist is of opinion that improvement of poor land is
unlimited, if guano in connection with this system is perseveringly
applied. He says--"The "five field System," which is now rapidly extending
over all the poor and worn lands that are now under improvement by marl,
lime, or guano, originated, or at least was first extensively
introduced in lower Virginia, on the Pamunkey, and has there wrought
wonders, aided by marl and judicious farming. The rotation is
corn,--wheat,--clover--wheat, or clover fallow,--and pasture, and after
pasture one year, commencing the round again with corn. This system, if
guano be applied to both crops of wheat, on corn land and fallow, or
alternately with lime or marl, when calcareous manures are required,
will readily increase the crops and permanent improvement of the land.
In the commencement of the rotation, lime had better be applied with the
putrescent manures to the corn crop, to be followed by guano on wheat.
If this system be perseveringly, pursued, I can scarcely see any
reasonable limits to the improvement of poor lands and the increase of
the profits of agriculture."
Disappointment will result from the application of lime, marl, salt
potash, guano, or any special and highly concentrated substance as a
fertilizer, to the neglect of organic manures. We lay down this fact as
incontrovertible, that no soil, however fertile it may be made for the
time being by any of these special manures, can remain permanently so,
unless care is used to maintain a healthful supply of organic
matter,--rich mould--good soil upon the land cultivated. If this is
done, we never shall hear of guano failing to bring increased crops or
of the "land running out," where it has been applied. Special manures of
any kind may fail to produce crops, where this essential requisite to
good farming is neglected. Guano, in our opinion, should always be
followed by crops of clover, grass, peas, or some crop that will shade
the earth, and can be turned under with the plow, to keep up the
necessary supply of nitrogenous food for cereal crops.
_The effect of Lime and Salt_ upon land is to _dissolve_ the inert
portions of organic matters in the soil, so that plants can suck up
their substance into their own composition. Both are highly beneficial,
but insufficient to add permanent fertility.
_The effect of guano_, is greater than any other highly concentrated
manure ever discovered and applied to any soil. Its benefits are
immediate continuous, and unlike lime, without exhausting the soil of
its organic matter. Yet its benefits will be increased by the addition
of organic manures derived from green crops, straw, or the stable, and
the value of these will be greatly increased by the addition of lime,
salt and plaster, while any deficiency of phosphates must be supplied by
powdered bones or another application of guano.
_The effect of plaster with guano_ is to arrest the excursive
disposition of the volatile parts of the guano, and imprison them in the
earth until called forth by the growing plants to do the State some
service. The following question to the Editor of the American Farmer,
and his reply, are to the point in this matter:--
A correspondent says--"As to the question of mixing plaster with guano,
there is one question I should like to propose to the editor,
viz.--'what will be the effect of sowing guano upon land by itself, and
then, the seed being in the ground, giving it a heavy top-dressing of
plaster, so as to arrest the 'excursion,' of which so much is said?"
_Reply by the editor._--"The effect of such application of guano and
plaster would be, to prevent the waste of the ammonia of the former, as
every rain would decompose more or less of the plaster, separate the
sulphuric acid from the lime, and the sulphuric acid when liberated,
would unite with the ammonia, form a sulphate of ammonia, and hold the
latter in reserve to be taken up by the roots of the plants. The
presence of plaster with all _organic_ manures, either directly mixed
with them, or broadcasted after they may be applied, tends to prevent
the escape of their volatile parts. We prefer them together for two
reasons,--_first_, because, by bringing the two into _immediate
contact_, the action of the plaster is more direct; and _secondly_,
because the time and expense of one sowing is thereby saved. We go for
saving every way, as time and labor costs money, and we look upon
economy as a virtue, which should be practised by all, and especially by
husbandmen."
If the plaster and guano is mixed together, 25 lbs. of the former to 100
lbs. of the latter, will be found a proper proportion, and sufficient to
prevent the ammonia from making an "excursion." Unless the soil be very
poor, 200 lbs. of good Peruvian guano is as much as we should recommend
for wheat. In this we have the concurrence of the editor of the Farmer,
and perhaps a hundred gentlemen whom we have conversed with upon this
subject. All agree in the opinion, whether mixed with plaster or not,
that a judicious application of guano will more certainly restore
productiveness to worn out land, or add fertility to that already
productive, than any other substance ever applied.
_Want of Faith in the efficacy of guano._--Whatever doubts may have
existed in the minds of careful men, there is no room for doubts now,
that Peruvian guano possesses regenerating properties beyond belief,
without evidence, and capacity to increase the productiveness of lands
in sound condition, in such an eminent degree, that any farmer who has
the power to obtain it, evinces great folly and perverse obstinacy, if
he continue to cultivate his land without applying it; either for want
of faith, or pretended disbelief in its efficacy; or because he thinks
the price fixed upon it by the Peruvian Government, "unjustifiably
high;" or because although he has no doubt it will answer in the moist
climate of England, is sure it will never answer in this dry climate; or
because he is afraid the luxuriant crops produced by the application of
guano will exhaust his land; or because his neighbor Jones killed all
his seed corn by putting only a handful in the hill; while Mrs. Jones
killed all her flowers and fifty kinds of roses with the "pisen stuff;"
and therefore he don't want any more to do with it; or because it has
failed to give remuneration under the most injudicious application, made
contrary to all instructions or experience of those who have used it; or
for any and all the other thousand and one objections raised by those
who have never used it, and seem determined they never will; probably
because when the almost miraculous accounts of its operations were first
published, they had cried out "humbug" so loudly they are determined no
after evidence shall convince them the only humbug in the case was in
their own disbelief. It is for the benefit of these unbelievers we are
now writing. Our object is to present such an array of facts guaranteed
by such respectable names, they shall have no hook to hang a doubt
upon--no reason--no justifiable excuse for any sane man longer to
neglect to apply an article of such positive, certain benefit to his
hungry soil.