Re: did you know
What prompted this research?
I needed to order some more natural amendments and I usually get them from
Nitron. While perusing Nitron's list, I came across Bat Guano, which gave me
a laugh because...
While at work a couple of weeks ago 2 women I don't know came up from
another office to see our Chief Deputy and the woman at the desk behind me.
When they finished talking shop one mentioned her bat houses and started
telling them all about bat guava. I just had to interupt her and correct
guava to guano, guava being a fruit. They were all amazed and not quite
believing that anyone would collect it or that it had valuable properties,
so of course I explained that I use cricket crap for my bulbs. That really
had them going!
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: "james singer" <islandjim1@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] did you know
Interesting. What prompted this research? When I was 9 or 10, guano
imports from South America were still a big deal. I remember learning
about it in probably the 4th grade.
On Aug 2, 2008, at 12:02 PM, Kitty wrote:
The history of Bat Guano and American Expansion
Stemming from the Incan language (Quichua) for "bird droppings", guano
is thought to have been used for centuries in both South American and
Pacific Islander civilizations. The Incas discovered that bat rookeries
established on nearby island chains contained vast amounts of this
excellent soil fertilizer, which were easily accessible and provided
amazing results when used on corn and bean crops. Spanish explorers took
both the word and the practice back with them to Europe. Guano soon
became a valuable commodity, rivaling only gold in its value as an
import of the new world.
Later, American farmers eagerly took to using Bat Guano as well, with
Congress going so far as establishing the Guano Island Act in 1856. This
act secured future guano supplies by allowing ocean islands to be
claimed as territories in the name of harvesting guano. Incidentally,
many currently owned American Territories were established in this
manner such as Johnson Atoll and the famous Midway Island, which served
as an important forward base of operations during World War II.
It wasn't until after the invention of gunpowder that early chemists
discovered that components of bat guano also lent itself to the
production of powerful explosives. Guano harvesting was increased as the
military found a new use for the unorthodox fertilizer. Bat guano
operations began to spring up all across the world, from the remote
corners of New Zealand to the depths of the Grand Canyon, and they have
continued in production ever since.
Today, Bat guano is still in use as both a fertilizer and a component of
some ammunitions. Bat guano has even been taken into space aboard the
Mercury and Gemini space capsules, and was used as the propellant to
deploy the radio transmission antennas after splashdown. Bat guano may
have originally been a discovery of the ancients, but its usefulness for
modern society can still be seen today.
I bet Cathy knew all this.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
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Island Jim
Willamette Valley
44.99 N 123.04 W
Elevation 148'
Hardiness Zone 8/9
Heat Zone 5
Sunset Zone 6
Minimum 0 F [-15 C]
Maximum 86 F [30 C]
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