Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-05-19
farmers department.
From the Germantown Telegraph,
rypepIMENTs

pablo demonstration oil It's efhcacy, anu lnctc-
fore determined to give 1t an impartial trial.
was also DESTROYS Of ascertaining, il practi-
cable its exact specific value us compared
with other manures of established character
---guano, poudrette, super.phosphate and the
like.
In order that might secure results which
would be perfectly satisfaetoiy--so lar at
least as the efforts Of u single season might
be deserving OF reiancc--l selected q piece
of light losmy land which had lain for several
vears--iour thnk---in grass. II was per
isctly level with few stoues and those few OF
small size and without single stump or bush
on the whole piece. This land broke up TO
the depth Of ten inches in the fall bringing TO
the surface very small portion Of the subsGil
which was OF light, gravclly nature, with
slight admiSture orsand. After plowing, the
land was carefully narrowed and rolled. and
in that condition il was left till the Subsequent
spring. The winter was q severe one, char
acterised by intense cold, but with very hile
snow till near the middle Of Jannarv, 50 that
the soil which was exposed without lis usual
winter covering up TO that period, was main-
tanned in au almost CONTINUED frozen condition.
and in this state il remained till late the Ini-
lowing spring.
As soon as the frost was fairly out and Tie
surface had become sufficiently dry tu admit
Of its being worked, The land was cross-plo"-
ed--care being had not TO disturb the tuii--
and reduced TO a fine tilth by working with
the cultivator aud harrow | think that, asa
general thing. farmers do not pay sufficient
attention 60 the pulverising Of their lands
Although every observing cultivator must be
fully impressed with the conviction thai the
finer soil is the more favorable viii u pc 10
vegetation vet very few who rest nnder thls
conviction bpstow more than hall the laoor
upon their fields that is essential to secure
fertility.
The crop selected for my experiment, was
Indian corn. No rottcd manure was used,
nor did apply any substance whatever ce-
fore planting the seed. The rows were drawn
with horse plow and checked OIL carefully
so as TO have the hills equi-distant with the
one side of the piece, dropped five Kernels
of corn in hill, and continued till had drop
ped five rows, of forty hills each. Then with
Il common hoe drew on one inch oil line soil,
and compressed it very slightly over the corn
with the back Of the hoe; after which / ap-
piled one and half table spoonful OF com
mon packing salt, and finished of with ano-
iher half inch of soil. The next live rows
were planted without any manure OF any KIND
The next five were dressed with poudfede
one half pint to the hill, under the seed, but
with Just sufficient soil over 1t to prevent con-
tact. The five rows next succeeding were
dressed with half IL pint Of gudno, ana me
next with one gill OF Super-phOSphdte OF "me
the same prccautlon topreVent contact Win
the seed being observed in the last two cases
as were adopted in that of the pondrette.-
The corn throughout was covered one and
half inches deep, with the soil about II slight
lv compressed. and the whole was planted on
the same day, and without any previous pre-
paration by sleeping or otherwise. The seed
gernnated readily, and the plants made their
appcarance above the surface on the same
day, but from the very first there was direct
and palpable indications Of the superiority OF
the salt and this superiority was demonStra-
ted by the result.
At harvest the salted rows produced one
fifth more corn, By ceight, than the rows ma
nured with the guano, and one-quarter more
than those manured with poudrette and super
phosphate while the yield compared with
that Of the five rows on which no manurial
application had been made, was as nine TO
one l do not think there was single spear
of the first five rows touched by the corn
worm or anv other insect, while the rows ma
nured with guano ana poudrette. were not 10y
any means exempt from their ravages, though
they suffered but little after the first week,
and were pot ,hinued sufficient as to abridge
the Yield The five rows on which nothing
was bestowed, were considerably thlnned,
probably one-fith part of the whole was de-
stroyed during the first two weeks About
the same difference was remarkable in the
weight Of the fodder on the several pieces rs
in The weight of the grain. The cost Of the
salt was less than one-third Of the cost Of GU
uno, poudrette or phosphate.
In looking over some agricultural publica-
tons recently, / CHANGED upon severalarticles
in which the various eXcellencies of salt as Il
manure are literally discussed, andthe ration
ale Of its action scientifically explained. 1t
seems that its value for agricultural purposes,
has long been known both in this country and
in Europe. Sir Hugh Platt, an eminent wri-
ter, who wrote more than century and Il
half since, says Of it, that sit is the S~eSiest
and cheapest andmost philosophical Of the ma
nures." Dr. Browning, also, who wrote more
than century ago, remarks OF ii, that "it is
dispersed over all nature it is treasured up
in the bowels of the earth it impregnates
the ocean it deScends in rains it fertilises
the soil ii arises in vegetables, aud from
them is conveyed into plants
In the vicinity of the salt works Of Great
Britain its value for manurial purposes is
fully appreciated. The immense quantities
there used should be regarded as direct and
unequvocal proof OF its efficacy, as it is re-
selt which has grown ont OF the experience Of
many wears trial, and a protracted series OF
the most uniform and unvarying results.
Soils" observes an old writer, (which are
subject TO the grub, aud which must he fertil-
ised by common dung which affords proper
nest Tor the mother beetle TO deposit her
eggs in, must be well impregnated with the
brine OF dissolved salt, after the dung is first
cut up.
Nothing in nature" remarks the sagacious
Hollingshead' sis so powerful as salt to nell
crate strong and stiff soils, and also TO give
moisture TO dry grounds; it is also certain
distractions to weeds and insects Besides
its efficacy on corn and fallow grounds, its ex-
cellent qualities in giving luxurance and sa-
lubrity TO grass lands, are peculiarly worthy
the attention Of those engaged in the grazing
and breeding of cattle"
1t has been observed that salt is the moth
er of all manures, as every description of ma
nure assumes a higher or lower position in the
scale Of value, according 10 the saline matters
il prodcces or evolves. BY the scientific cul.
tivator every description of vegetable aliment
is portioDed out to the soil upon rules deduc-
ed from knowledge Of the afluence in saline
particles, on the quantity of nitre it contains.
Mr.. j. T. Seschemacher says: II think sal:
lime and several chemicals, will destroy The
potato disease. prefer salt however, be-
cause when mixed in the soil, il may get into
the juices and circulate through the whole