Guano has not been extensively used in New Jersey, owing to the
abundance of green sand marl, which is a very valuable fertilizer,
abounding in that part of the State most in need of artificial manures.
Guano has, wherever used, produced the most astonishing results. One of
these we witnessed upon the farm of Mr. Edward Harris, a gentleman well
known for his enterprising spirit of improvement and intelligence in
agriculture, who resides at Moorestown, which lies in the sandy region
east of Philadelphia. He sowed 400 lbs. to the acre, plowed in with
double plow, sowed oats and seeded with timothy, which upon similar soil
often "burns out" for want of shade, after the oats are harvested. Not
so in this case. The shattered oats from a remarkably fine crop,
vegetated and grew with such a dark green luxuriance, there was more
danger of the young grass being smothered out; so he had to put the
mowers at work, who cut heavy swaths of this second crop of oats, for
hay. If it had been situated so it could have been fed off, the amount
of pasture would have been almost incalculable. It is needless to say
the effect of guano upon this land, was not evanescent. Other trials
made by Mr. Harris, have convinced him of its value to Jersey farmers,
and that good as "Squankum marl" undoubtedly is, farmers would do better
to expend part, at least, of their money in guano.
The name of James Buckalew is known, perhaps, more extensively than any
other in New Jersey, as one of her most enterprising, rapidly improving,
money making farmers, whose testimony in favor of guano may be easily
obtained by any one who will take the trouble to go and see what
beautiful farms he has made out of the barren sands near the Jamestown
station, on the Camden & Amboy railroad, by the use of lime, plaster,
marl, manure and guano. It is a pity that every one who doubts the
feasibility of profitably improving the worst land in that State, by the
power of such an agent as Peruvian guano, could not see what has been
done by Mr. Buckalew. Let them also look at what were once bare sand
hills around the residence of Commodore Stevens, at South Amboy, a
gentleman who ought to be more renowned for his improvements on land
than water, notwithstanding his world wide reputation, in connection
with the yacht America. Go ask how it is that these drifted sand hills
have been covered with rank grass, clover, corn, turnips and other
luxuriant crops; the very echo of the question will be, guano.
Look at the astonishing crops of Professor Mapes, at Newark. Peruvian
guano, in combination with his improved superphosphate of lime, hath
wrought the miracle, aided as it has been, by the deepest plowing ever
done in that State.
Mr. Samuel Allen, at Morristown, has now growing upon a poor barren,
gravelly knoll, a crop of corn which might put to blush the owner of a
rich and well manured field, and which ought to put to blush some of the
unbelievers in the power of guano to produce such a growth upon such a
soil; rather where there was no soil, hardly enough to grow a
respectable crop of mullen stalks. Mr. Allen has tried guano for several
years upon every kind of garden vegetable, with the most wonderful
success. A crop of Lima beans now growing exhibit its wonderful power in
the strongest manner. The application has been made by a small dose at
planting and two sprinklings hoed in during their growth.
A great many other persons in this State have produced most wonderful
effects upon land almost utterly worthless, while in the immediate
benefits, those who have applied it to lands in good condition, have
profited more than with double the cost of manure.
_Guano for Peach Trees._--A New Jersey nurseryman assured us of his firm
conviction in the power of guano to cure the yellows in peach
trees--that no grub or worm can be found alive in the roots of a tree
where guano is applied--that young trees can be brought into bearing by
the use of guano, a year earlier than by any other forcing process with
which he is acquainted.