igorous plants are thrown out. For this reason alone, if guano had no
other value, farmers in some sections of the country where the soil is
peculiarly affected by this difficulty, would find their account in the
use of an article which would enable them to grow clover, for clover is
manure, and it should be a sine qua non with every farmer to avail
himself of all the means within his reach to increase the supply of
manure from the products of his farm. Let him not depend alone upon the
purchase of guano, but rather upon the means which that brings within
his reach of increasing his home supply by the growth of clover, and
largely increased production of straw. Those who are interested
pecuniarily, which the writer is not, in the increased sale of guano in
the United States, have no fears that our recommendations to make manure
at home--to use lime, plaster, bones, clover, and every other source of
fertility within their reach, will decrease the sale of guano. On the
contrary, those who are most disposed to use all these sources of
fertility, are the very men most disposed to use a substance which all
experience has proved superior to all others. Besides, there is, and
probably always will be, enough "worn out lands" which can be profitably
renovated, to use up all the guano which will ever find its way into
this country. So our earnest recommendation is, where lime is available,
let no man claiming the honorable title of farmer, fail to make the
application. Let him also gather up all the fragments--let nothing be
lost--make all the manure at home he possibly can, and then he will not
only have the means, but a disposition also to buy that which a
beneficent Providence sends him from the coast of Peru; of the good
effect of which we will prove by further testimony--that of the Hon.
James A. Pearce, Senator from Maryland, and a farmer of no small note in
that State. He says--"In April 1845, I applied 350 lbs., probably of
African or Patagonian guano to an acre of growing wheat, the land being
entirely unimproved and very poor. It was applied as a top dressing, of
course, but mixed with plaster." (In what proportion he does not say,
but we will by and bye; but he does say)--"_The wheat was doubled in
quantity at least_--fine clover succeeded it--and in two crops, one of
corn and one of small grain, three and four years afterwards, the
effects are still apparent." Now this effect was produced by the use of
the guano as a to