Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1852-11-13
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Journal Of, Agriculture.
salt for our Domestic Animals.

By l.. BARTLETT.
Farmers in the same neighborhood differ
widely in their views upon the most common
farm operations, such as the depth of blowing,
the width and angle of the furrow slice, the APP
plication of manures, whether it should be
spread upon the land before blowing, or after
this operation, &c, &c. 1t is less strange that
they should entertain different opinions in re-
gard to other rural matters, not SO palpaby Wis
ible. Thus, while one farmer uses many bush
els Of salt annually for his farm stock, another
scouts the idea Of its use in either large small
doses. Some farmers practice sailing their hay
at the rate of one bushel of salt per ton. Mr..
Pell, of Ulster CO., N. Y, several years ago,
gave, in some agricultural paper, an account of
his method of curing hay; which was, to get it
in very green, and sprinkle on it one bushel of
salt to each ton of hay. This statement called
out several farmers in reply; and one of them
pronounced "his practice actually cruel" to thus
compel his cattle to eat such quantity of salt.
Some farmers use but two, others four quarts to
the ton of hay, while, perhaps, very large ma
jority use none upon their hay at the time
of storing it in their barnes. Thus practical
farmers disagree. How are we to decide the
question, whether cattle should be supplied with
salt or not? Reasoning from the instincts ofour
domestic animals, and the researches in animal
physiology, l can come to no other conclusion
than thiS-that the health and thrift of our
farm stock, in many sections of the country, de-
pend much upon full supply of salt, and that
the pecuniary interests of the farmer, require
that he should, in some form, afford this supply.
The Creator has given to man reasoning pow
ers and speech, by which he can communicate
his wants, his likes and dislikes and orally ex-
press them. To animals he has given instinct,
which guides them in the selection of their food,
and, in good degree, teaches them to avoid
that which is hurtful or poisonous. The almost
universal relish our domestic animals manifest
for salt, indicates most clearly think, the ne
eessity of their being supplied with it; and this
desire for salt is not confined to our domestic
animals alone. The salt licks of the west were
formerly much fre1uented by the buffalo, elk,
deer, and the huge mastodon, and other animals,
for the purpose of obtaining salt, so necessary
10 their well being. Our cattle have not the
use of an intelligent speech; but factions some
times speak plain words" and the actions
frequently manifested by cattle for SALT cannot
be misunderstood. They mean, give us salt;
the cravings of nature require it, and most far
mers believe this fact. Therefore some good
farmers always keep salt in troughs, under COW
er of shed, where their cattle have access to
it through the year. In such cases, it is proba-
bic the cattle just take what is necessary, no
more, nor less. Others give salt to their cattle,
sheep, &c, once week; whether this is as of
ten as is necessary, Especially in the early part
of the pasturing season, when the grass is ten
der and succulent,) admits of some doubt Be-
SIDES, they may eat too much at such times, for
their health, and the walker ones may not obtain
their share.
Chemical analysis long ago taught us that the
bones of animals were chiefly formed of phos-
phate of lime: but it was not known, in the pub
hcation of work on animal physiology, by
Prof. Liebig, some three or four years ago, that
the chloride of sodium common salt and phos-
phate of soda were invariably found in the blood
and that the phosphate of potash and the chic
ride of potassium were of constant occurrence
in the juice of the flesh. These facts prove that
these substances are indispensable for the heal
thy process carried on in the blood, and in the
fluid of the muscles. Says the professor-"Pro-
ceeding Oh this assumption, the necessity for ad-
ding common salt to the food of many animals
is easily explained, as well as the share which
that salt takes in the formation of blood, and
in the respiratory process. 1t is fact now es-
tablished by the numerous analyses that the
ashes of inland pants, growing at certain
distance from the sea, contain no soda, or only
traces of that base. The potashes of inland
countries rarely contain any carbonate of soda
while the ashes of the same plants, growing in
maritime countries, near the sea-cost, contain
phosphate of soda and common salt; therefore
the food of animals is not in all places of the
same quality or composition in respect to the
two bases, potash and soda.
Gan animal feeding on plants which contain
phoSphates OF other bases, along with some COM
pounds of soda or sodium, produces in the body
the phosphate Of soda, SO indispensable to the
formation of the blood. But an animal living
inland, obtains in the weeds, herbs, roots, and
tubers which it consumes, only salts ofpotash.
1t can produce, from the phosphates of lime and
magnesia, by decomposition with the salts of
potash, only phosphate of potash, the chief in
organic constituent of its flesh, but no phosphate
of soda, which is compound never absent in
(healthy) blood When, in inland countries, the
food does not contain common salt enough to
produce the phosphate of soda necessary for the
formation of the blood, then more salt must be
added to the food. From common salt is pro-
duced, in this case, by mutual decomposition