anure?" The evidence just given answers
that question. "I have manure, teams, and men to haul it; my fields are
from one to three miles distant, is it economy for me to let my teams
lay idle and buy guano?" By no means. But you can probably employ men
and teams in other improvements to much better advantage. With your
manure make all your home lots exceedingly rich. With your men and teams
clear off stones, dig ditches to put them into, drain your land, or
build fence--bring bog meadows and swamps into dry cultivation--send
every little brook through artificial channels for irrigation--send
water up from lowland springs and streams by hydraulic rams for the same
purpose, and for stock on the hills; or bring it down from hillsides if
you are so situated; and buy guano for those distant fields, instead of
wasting time in the laborious operation of hauling manure. Those who use
guano, are enabled by the saving of time, to say nothing of their
increased profits, to make improvements which are utterly impossible to
accomplish under the old system.

_How to choose Guano._--As we are satisfied no sensible reader can have
perused the preceding pages, without having come to the determination to
make a trial for himself, we will give him some general instructions
about buying guano.

In the first place, we lay it down as an incontrovertible axiom, that
the Peruvian guano, at the current price for years of that and all
other, is the cheapest and best, because it contains the largest amount
of ammonia, in a perfectly dry state; as a carbonate, true, but because
dry, it is permanent and not likely to loose by volatilization by long
keeping.

If other varieties contain a larger proportion of phosphates, and are
sold at a less price, experience proves they are not cheaper. If an
additional quantity of phosphates is desirable, it can be obtained in a
cheaper form from dissolved bones, or bone dust and shavings of bone
workers; or from mineral phosphates of lime. Recollect, guano under no
other name, has ever equalled the Peruvian, in the results as compared
with the quality or cost.

Therefore buy none but Peruvian. To guard against deception, be careful
of whom you buy. If you cannot buy directly from the agents, be sure the
character of your merchant is a sufficient guarantee against
adulteration.

_To test the quality of Guano._--The best test is the price. Unlike
other merchandise, this article is not subject to fluctuations.