WALPOLE ISLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1921, Page 8

WALPOLE ISLAND.

Walpole is an island lying in rhe Pacific Ocean, about 960 miles northwest of Auckland; and about 150 miles east of.’Noumca, the capital of New Caledonia. The island is about 310 acres in extent, being a flat topped plateau, elevated 150 feet from the sea, with more or less precipitous sides. The island 'has evidently been the home of countless birds for hundreds of years past, with the result that their deposits have created several hundreds of thousands of tons of high grade citric soluble phosphatic guano, which is now available for agricultural purposes. The guano is in a finely powdered state, and contains both animal and vegetable organic matter, corbonate of lime, and from 50 per cent, j to GO per cent, of tricalcic phosphate. The phosphates are highly citric soluble, and, therefore, are readily available for assimilation by the plant, and are consequently eminently suitable for New Zealand soils. The guano, which is dark chocolate in color, also contains one quarter to three-quarters of a unit of nitrogen, and its mechanical condition is such that it will run freely through any drill. Up to the present time only a few thousand tons of Walpole guano have been imported into New Zealand but highly satisfactory results have beer. ,->btaiped in those districts where it has been used. The natural fertilising value of this guano justifies the claim made that it is suitable for all crops, but it is especially recommended for top-dresmng and for root and rape crops. The value, and. therefore, the price of a fertiliser should depend not only on its phosphatie and nitrogenous contents, but also upon the form in which the phosphates are present. Th'e citric soluble phosphate is '—unit for unit —worth considerably more than the phosphate which is not citric soluble. Being so highly citric soluble, the price which is being charged f-or Walpole, therefore, compares very favorably indeed with other fertilisers, without making any allowance whatever for the value of the nitrogen and organic matter present. Full stocks of this superior guano arc held by the Farmers’ Co-on.. at all their Lbrancnes.