We might give much more evidence of the same kind, to prove that every barren acre upon Long Island, might be made productive by a judicious and profitable application of guano; but if there are any persons, who, after reading these pages, are still doubting, we must say they are most incorrigably determined not to profit by the experience of others. To such it would be useless to say more.
Successful Experiment with Guano as a Top Dressing on Wheat, in North Carolina.—On [Page 17], we gave some account of the application of guano by Henry K. Burgwyn, Esq., since which, we have been favored with the following letter from his brother, T. Pollock Burgwyn, written, as will be seen, not for publication, but simply to give the party from whom he purchased the guano, a detail of his success.
"New York, Sept. 20, 1852.
Messrs. A. B. Allen &. Co.—Dear Sir:—Having promised that I would furnish you with the result of my application of the 21 tons of guano which I purchased of you last winter, I proceed now to do so, and give you full liberty to quote my experience in favor of the use of that most invaluable manure, to all who are anxious to profit by the experience of others without incurring any risk of their own. My object, and it should be that of every one who has used guano, is to extend the knowledge of its great value to any owner of poor soil, like the worn out plantations of North Carolina. I applied 20 tons of this guano as a top dressing to a field of 200 acres, which had been seeded in wheat under most unfavorable circumstances. At the time of application, so unpromising was the appearance of the growing wheat, that my manager and myself thought it almost a waste of money and labor to try this experiment,[(1)] but as the rest of my crop did not require any manure, I resolved to see what would be the effect. I am confident the field would not have averaged, without the top dressing, seven bushels per acre—it yielded rather over 13 bushels, besides securing to me a full setting of clover.[(2)]
My mode of application was as follows; to each 200 lbs of guano I added two bushels of ashes and a bushel of plaster mixed intimately, and then sown broadcast, at the rate of six and a half bushels per acre, harrowed in with a light harrow. This application was made in March, and the early part of April, and in less than three weeks after the application, the wheat had undergone an entire change, from a yellow, sickly color, to a dark luxuriant green. The application had evidently infused new life and vigor into the plants, and as the result proved, very nearly or quite doubled its product. So much for the crop of wheat; but what was still more valuable to me, in my system of farming, it likewise secured for me a full crop of clover, which would certainly have failed but for this application. I also applied one ton of this guano mixed in the same way, to a small field of oats. I plowed this under with a small plow, together with the oats; the result was equally gratifying. My chief object in this last experiment, was to secure me a small field of clover, near my stables, and in this I fully succeeded; which I feel assured I should not have done but for the guano. My brother and myself have made various experiments of late years, with guano, and concur in the testimony of all those who have tested its value, carefully and judiciously, in pronouncing it to be the most expeditious renovater of the soil within the farmer's reach; and exclusive of the farm yard, the most economical of all manures. In proof of my conviction of its value to me, I shall this fall give you an order for 20 or 30 tons more. I will only add that I consider every wheat grower who would study his own interest, will find it by trying similar experiments.
T. Pollock Burgwyn."
[Note 1.] In a subsequent conversation with Mr. Burgwyn, he stated a fact which makes this point much stronger. After ordering the guano, he left home, giving his farm manager orders to apply if to that particular piece of wheat as soon as it arrived. Owing to the fact that the seed was injured—that the land was in a very unfit condition from poverty and drouth to produce a crop of wheat, it had assumed such a miserable appearance before the arrival of the guano, that the manager wrote to Mr. B. his opinion of the utter folly of applying anything so expensive to a crop already struck with death. Not imagining how very unpromising was the prospect of success, Mr. B. immediately wrote to him to go ahead as directed. Before the application was completed he returned home, and his first impression was to stop the work at once and give up the field as lost; but on examining the effect upon that part where the guano was first applied, he found it had already infused new vigor into the plants, for they had put off their sickly yellow color, and taken on a vigorous green; and therefore he decided at once to go on, which as will be seen by the result, was a most valuable decision.
[Note 2.] From personal knowledge of this very field, we are confident it would not have yielded without the guano, one half of seven bushels. It is a flat surface, clayey loam, and badly affected by winter rains, and such freezing and thawing as it had during the last severe winter. Besides it was a few years since, when it came into the possession of Mr. Burgwyn, one of those old worn out, skinned-to-death places, so common in that State, which all the deep plowing and good farming of that gentleman had not been able to restore, until he luckily hit upon guano; which notwithstanding the most unfavorable circumstances, has given him conclusive proof of its inestimable value. To say nothing of the ten bushels of wheat per acre, which we are confident he gained, the clover is worth more than the guano cost; and without it, one might almost as soon expect to grow clover upon Coney Island beach, as upon that field.
This letter contains testimony of inestimable value. It comes from a gentleman of intelligence and careful observation, who is devoted to his profession of a farmer, and who has been one of the most successful renovators of worn out plantations in the south, and it comes very opportunely to give our work an appropriate Finale.