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Show BPh mbm fl B & V' . l v4v JBVi'.?BJBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBkv BBb iBBBhBBBVVBKBBVBBViBSBBH Heaping Screened Guano for Transfer to Mainland. (Prepared by the National deoRrnphlc Society, Washington, D. C.) Peru, already of considerable agricultural agri-cultural Importnnco nnd destined to becomo much more so, Is fortunnto In having one of the most vulunblo sources of natural fertilizer In tho world Its famous "bird Islands" on which thousnnds of tons of guano are deposited in a sort of nnnual crop. These deposits, rich In precious nitrogen nitro-gen hnvo been laid down on the islands is-lands for thousands of years, und until un-til recently thero seemed a well-nigh Inexhnustlble mine of tho material. But tho tremendous world demand which nroso nenr the middle of the past century brought In Its train wnsteful methods, nnd nil tho accumulated do-posits do-posits have been stripped nwny. Tho annual accumulations nro still available, avail-able, however, and nro worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Peru's peculiar geographical conditions condi-tions make posslblo the preservation of her valuable guano "crop." A few showers might wash away the valuable valua-ble fertilizer, hut thanks to lu mountain moun-tain masses, Its very cold off-shore witters and Its prevailing winds, the region of tho Bird Islands Is rainless. Guano, it will bo understood, Is primarily pri-marily tho deposit of flsh-entlng birds, Into which mny be mixed and IncorporatedIn Incor-poratedIn greater or less proportion a variety of other substances, such ns the eggs and bodies of birds nnd the deposits nnd the bodies of sen-lions. sen-lions. It may .tbo found mixed with gravel nnd sand In very small proportion pro-portion or sometimes to an extent rendering It unprolltublo to extract. Peruvian Guano Is Beet, "Peruvlun guano" Is practically synonymous with nitrogenous guano und bus long been recognized us tho best nitrogenous fertilizer thnt Is, us a fertilizer of generally high nitrogen value In which tho nitrogen compounds com-pounds nro found in a condition most readily asslmlluble by our plants. Nitrogen Is a primary necessity to tho fanner. Whatever be tho importance impor-tance of uddlng to the soil potnsh und other mineral components of our food and our clothing, thero never exists n doubt as to tho fundamental Importance Impor-tance of nitrogen. Consequently n peculiar pe-culiar Interest attaches to birds of tho Peruvian Islands, which linvo long served to aid the world's agriculture and which, given duo protection, may continue Indefinitely to contribute materially ma-terially to the support of humanity. The peculiar climatic conditions previously pre-viously mentioned offer merely tho proper environmental conditions for tho preservation of tho product. Tho primary pri-mary requisite for ubundunt bird life Is the existence of n- plontlful food supply, und this Is found In the schools of smnll llsli, called aneiiobetas, 'that swarm In the Peruvian current. There shoals of nsh, acres in extent, nro often pursued In tho wnter by bunlto nnd other lurgo fish, while beset from tho air by thousunds of birds. Billions of pounds of llsh must be consumed each year by tho birds, besides be-sides tho Incalculable quantity devoured de-voured by other flshos; but tho fecundity of the unchobetns ts such thut their numbers nro still maintained. maintain-ed. At times great acres of tho sen are made red by myriads of smnll, brightly colored shrlmp-like Crustacea ; and these, too, play n part of Importance Im-portance us food for tho fishes and birds. Islands Crowded With Guanays. Not all of the birds ore of equal Importance from tho commercial point of view. Indeed, three species virtual-ly virtual-ly support the guano Industry t tho r resent' time the whlte-brenst cor-mornnt cor-mornnt (guunoj), the big gray pollc'an and tho white-head gannet. Ounnnys occur on the Peruvian coast from near the northern to the extreme southern boundary, hut their pro-eminent pro-eminent home is the douhlo group of IslumW opposite- Pisco. In the South, the Chtnihns nnd the Hallestas. The largest gummy flocks ure found on the Chliicliu (slnnds. Upon tho soulh Island of the Chlnclins, n smnll and generally triangular body of land between :'o and 150 acres In nrea, there Is a rookery which Tor slzo and compactness com-pactness can scarcely be rlvulcd In nay part of the world, i"- The nesting around occupies abont-two-thlrds of the surface" of tho Is-' hind, "mhraclng- the crown and the jntle rinpes of the'hlll that-surmount Us lov Huff walla.. Tto neats ore very uniformly spaced, nveratfnruJB ly three to tho squnro yard, and wM yard of ground within the wittM limits of tho rookery is nnoccupiM In form nnd arrangement the nti pear as heavy rolled-rlm ba!ni itnBJ into tho hillside. mW Tho gunnny welt deserves Its coil mon name. Its gregurlous habit. l chotco of the level places or qoS gcntlo slopes for nesting grounds, vm Its custom of remaining on the B binds n great part oftho time all nM blno to cnuso tho I urination of enofl mous deposits of guano, from vh thero is little natural wast. In ttfl region where this bird Is most absfl dant, nbout tho Chlnclms and tM Icstns Islands, the climate conditioB are most favorable to the presemtlB of tho nitrates. It Is doubtful If guano of the Chlnclins nnd Ballett: Islnnds Is over wet from ntmoaphn moisture. A pair of guannjrs, wit their offspring, produce nearly V worth of gunno per yenr. How the Work ts Dons. The gunno workers nre practical nil Peruvians of tho ancient stock, as uiuiiy of them como down from t) mountains to cngngo In this wor Often there are few In the camp wt can spciilc Spanish nnd the forma cun communlcato with the employ only by signs or through an Interpt tor. The extraction of guano Is a w stuiplo process. Where the mated is compnrntlvely recent, tho onlj k plemcnts required nre the pick tt tho shovel, n screen and a few sick Tho surfaco cake Is first broken t nnd thrown Into small heaps. Wta several contractors hnvo a conceal from tho government covering C snmo Island, tTiero is much rivalry l getting tho best guano mounded, t this Is tho only recognized method establishing n claim to a partlcah Held. Tho guano Is subsequently pit through slanting wire screens to r movo tho grnvel, nnd then sacked i embarkation by lanchns, which u strongly constructed lighters In ti form of rowbouts, adupted for u 1 the heavy swell liable to prevail iw tho islands. A very common method of liilC tho gunno to tho lighter Is by men of tho undarlvel, an aerial trolley coi slstlng of two stout wlro cables pended between n frnmo nt the topi the islnnd nnd some convenient r soinowhnt removed from the shore. Tho boat Is rowed beneath the low part of tho cablo to receive the M lowered by pulleys and wind ass. .w ends of the Hue bolng attach' traveling pulleys, the sacks of r" descending by gravity, draw the sacks back. No power Is PPU tho windlass excit to preven i" too-rapid descent of the ifUM tho luncha to loaded It UrJ to the vessel, where the " hoisted Into tho hold. A much more extern, re Wg la found on the larger Island" north.' An American ccrft trading for the Pewter. , J has laid lines of track for WJ tho gunno by tram-cur , and tt i Ing Is done from trestles over a i level track. ,,.. 0f U By far the greatest portion Kuano that has been WJ, slstcd of the ancient deposW. "mineral" Run"0' w"c" 't dep covered the Waf'S,!. This has been toMfiLt until scarcely any of tho i oia molns except some of grades that scarcely JiW It Is within the boundt that additional derojt, ncath tho surface, mtf6, idu Unless this bo the case, tw Is permanently reduced o t deposits, whlclf demand, of J'jJ" ft.. Its present condition, wW Ing for tho great future In land cultivation In '"r, that must follow soon" J (J, tho adoption of more e terns of irrigation. M liiough the Iruportnut j been greatly ducL IIlWti Is reasonable to expert I inereaso under ntat! WS Interference with Wert duced to the minimum e tho utilization "" or - isiiiflBBBfifiOBBfifiBlfifiBaVBfifil |