A few CVRR pictures and some other related pictures....

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Horse manure is the best of all of them for use in fields. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that whoever's job it was to collect all those droppings gave it to farmers or to gardeners for use as fertilizer.

Thought that distinction went to elephant; used to be that folks queued up when the circus used to come to town

Quite beyond the pale.

Seriously -- This used to make the local news when the circus was in town and I think at one point that they had to institute a lottery system due to the demand and numbers of folks that wanted it for their gardens

[Rufus T. Firefly]

"From caves. A major natural source of potassium nitrate was the deposits crystallizing from cave walls and the accumulations of bat guano in caves. Extraction is accomplished by immersing the guano in water for a day, filtering, and harvesting the crystals in the filtered water"

I have no doubt there are sources for the guano, but can you imagine how many little batbutts and how long the accumulation period it would take to fertilize a typical American farmer's field (!) However, horses and cows are ever at the ready-willing-and-able to contribute significantly to fertilizing efforts.

Again, originally this dates back to the 1850's where this source of potassium nitrate for gunpowder was a national security item. Apparently contents if the caves on these islands were substantial. It's curious to me that the law still is on the books.....interesting reading.

I had an occasion, purely by happenstance, to be at a farmers' market, on NY State Rt. 281, getting into my car, just as a contraption was maneuvering in a large broad field across the highway from me. As was quickly apparent, the wagon-machine-thing was taking scoops-full of manure, seemingly shredding it, and simultaneously hurling it as a spray up into the air over the field, section by section. The contraption-load didn't seem to have needed immersion in water, but rather, was quite ready to go. I had not experienced the procedure previously during my numerous visits to Homer, NY. But I knew I would remember it. The odor is still in my memory.

Manure spreader. You do not want to be south of or down wind of one in operations. Still, tame stuff when compared to when the are out spraying liquefied manure on the fields.

Probably not guano in that farmer's contraption (not that I am an expert in detecting the presence of guano.)

Most probably had a bovine origin,

[Roy]

Do you remember a movie with a character named Col. "Bat" Guano?

Ultimately, we'll all have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Troup Bros Piano Store in Harrisburg, Pa

Looks like delivering pianos by this crew might been just their day job.....

[rogruth]

Do you remember a movie with a character named Col. "Bat" Guano?

Ultimately, we'll all have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Murph,
That machine is called a manure spreader and is suitable for several types.
I don't know if it works with bat guano.
Do you remember a movie with a character named Col. "Bat" Guano?

No, but my wife just reminded me of a Jim Carey movie ("Ace Ventura, something-something") that had some native Africans smear guano on his face, for some reason that escapes me.

Thanks for the name of the contraption, Roger.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Troup Bros Piano Store in Harrisburg, Pa

[u]Looks like delivering pianos by this crew might been just their day job...

Yes, they all have that look that they were up to something at night, and perhaps on weekends, too, but maybe not for the fellow with the low-slung droopy-waist pants on the far left. He probably just went home after lugging pianos around the county and had some hamhocks and a couple beers and hoped to be left in peace in his favorite chair.

[chuck]

Col. Bat Guano was a character in Dr. Strangelove played by Keenan Wynn. Col. Mandrake ordered him to shoot ope the coke machine on the air base so he could call the president with the recall code (all they had left was a pay phone and he need change).

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Col. Bat Guano was a character in Dr. Strangelove played by Keenan Wynn. Col. Mandrake ordered him to shoot ope the coke machine on the air base so he could call the president with the recall code (all they had left was a pay phone and he need change).

Actually it was Group Capt. Mandrake - 1st name "Lionel".........and now we've come full circle back to trains,

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Murph,
That machine is called a manure spreader and is suitable for several types.
I don't know if it works with bat guano.
Do you remember a movie with a character named Col. "Bat" Guano?

No, but my wife just reminded me of a Jim Carey movie ("Ace Ventura, something-something") that had some native Africans smear guano on his face, for some reason that escapes me.

"When Nature Calls"

As you know, when nature calls, you have to pick up the phone and say "Hello, I got your message. I've got a package for you."

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Thought that distinction went to elephant; used to be that folks queued up when the circus used to come to town

Quite beyond the pale.

Seriously -- This used to make the local news when the circus was in town and I think at one point that they had to institute a lottery system due to the demand and numbers of folks that wanted it for their gardens

Weirdly enough, as I read that, I have a recollection of standing behind (not too, too near, but within whiff-sight distance) when Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey came to our little town, an adult elephant with his backside to me, at the precise moment he decided to drop a load. It seemed soccerball-sized, like a segment from a giant Tootsie Roll, and it made a thud as it hit the ground, splitting in half (and here is why I mention all this ) revealing that it had visible hay/grass-stuff mixed in it throughout. I was amazed. I'm not sure exactly what my ten-year-old mind expected elephant droppings would look like, but it wasn't a turd (there, I used the word ) stuffed with hay/straw. I must add, however, nobody competed for the results of the bowel movements by the elephant, or any other circus prisoner, prol'y because very few of us had vegetable gardens in our little suburb.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Well, once again, we have experienced substantive Thread Drift in this thread. And ya gotta admit, drifting down to a conversation focused on manure has got to be a new low. Oh wait. Who started this drift? Oh. It was I, daMurph, in reply to a charming photo of olden days showing a nice horse or two standing around looking dignified. Ah. Ok. Alrightythen. I'm guilty of, well, drifty conversation, once again, inspired by a nice picture. Gofigger.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Troup Bros Piano Store in Harrisburg, Pa

[u]Looks like delivering pianos by this crew might been just their day job...

Yes, they all have that look that they were up to something at night, and perhaps on weekends, too, but maybe not for the fellow with the low-slung droopy-waist pants on the far left. He probably just went home after lugging pianos around the county and had some hamhocks and a couple beers and hoped to be left in peace in his favorite chair.

3 hard men to do the work and make a delivery with the 4th to the far left whose job was to dispose of the body(ies) in the river.

[Mitch]

Manure spreader. You do not want to be south of or down wind of one in operations. Still, tame stuff when compared to when the are out spraying liquefied manure on the fields.

You got that right, Rufus! You can see 'em pulling those big tanks with six horses or mules for about a mile, if the field's big enough; buy Jeezus! You can smell 'em from 20 miles away!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Manure spreader. You do not want to be south of or down wind of one in operations. Still, tame stuff when compared to when the are out spraying liquefied manure on the fields.

You got that right, Rufus! You can see 'em pulling those big tanks with six horses or mules for about a mile, if the field's big enough; buy Jeezus! You can smell 'em from 20 miles away!

They started doing my fields one day after I'd been out cutting wood with my son and the Amish boys. Brought tears to my eyes and it was hard to breath when the wind shifted towards us, and even the Amish boys were having a hard time standing it.