dvantage
of top dressing grass lands with guano--Benefit of guano to all Long
Island soil--Great benefit on turnips.

"_Jamaica, L. I., Sept. 13, 1852._

MR. THEO. RILEY, ESQ., Dear Sir:--In reply to your inquiry
relative to the use of Peruvian guano on Long Island, I would say,
forming my opinion from experience and observation that the mode of
tillage--the rotation of crops, and the way of applying guano--are
about as follows: Commence with corn, which is usually on green
sward, after being mowed and pastured from four to six years.
First, plow in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the
ground, which is generally about the 20th of March. Prepare the
ground for planting the 1st of May, by harrowing well two or three
times. Before the last time harrowing, apply about 250 or 300 lbs.
of guano to the acre, sown broadcast, and then mark out with plow,
or lace, about four and a half feet apart, each way; apply a small
quantity to the hill, one third of a gill is as much as will be
safe, and that should be in the form of a ring about a foot in
diameter, and the corn dropped in the center, otherwise it will be
likely to kill the corn by the sprouts coming in contact with the
guano when they first start. It will not do to put the guano in the
hill and plant the corn upon it. It was not uncommon for farmers to
have to plant their corn all over before they become acquainted
with its effects; but as using it in the hill, in a pure state, is
generally attended with some risk, it is the practice in this
vicinity to use yard manure, at the rate of one third or half a
shovelful to the hill; but as that manure is generally weak, they
have adopted the very excellent plan of sprinkling say 50 lbs. of
guano to a wagon load (30 bushels) of manure. As we cart the manure
in the fall to the field where it is intended to be used the
following spring, (1) the guano can be mixed through it with but
little trouble, when it is turned and broken up just before use. It
adds very much to the value of the manure, as the difference of
harvesting plainly shows. Muck or pond dirt could be used in the
same way, in place of manure. Some apply it about the hill at the
time of hoeing. It should not be thrown on top, but sprinkled
around the corn at the rate of half a gill per hill.