, 1862-03-13
Che farmers Corner.
An Experiment with Salt.

A correspondent of the London Fdrmsr's $
Magazine gives the following account Of
the result Of an application cf salt to land
on which a crop of mangel wurzel was to
be sown:
How few farmers know the use Of salt !
Its power to destroy and to revive, we are
alike unacquainted with. Some years ago,
being troubled on my grass land with weed
which could not eradicate by mechanical
means, I sowed heavy dose Of salt, and at
Unce effected the object. A season or two
back, It struck me that if the experience was
worth anything, it should teach me a quick
way to rid my land of weeds generally
the arabic land, I mean. The consequence
was, that when the autumn arrived, the
fields that were intended for fallow, received
q very heavy cnat of salt-coarse grained
agricultural salt; which is, in fact, the
sweepings from the salt works, and the re
fuse Of the pans. The quantity sowed was
quite l2 cwt. The winter which followed
was a severe one, and, in connection with
the frost, the chemical action of the salt
upon the soil was charming to the eye, which
delights 10 the sight Of beautiful trIabe
mould, in place Of churlish uukindly clay,
which usually resists the expansive and di--
integratiug glacial influence Of winter. The
field, tno, on which the experiment was tried,
had long possessed q reputation for couch
grass, and that particular species Of it known
as water grass, the mOst hopeless and
trnublesOme Of all. The hoe would nut
kill it; the twitch rake would not gather It,
and the children. in seeking il upon the sur.
face after the harrows had left it exposed,
usually secured half Of il, and stamped the
rest INTO the soil 10 perpetuate the kind
This water grass, then, which the hue would
not kill, which the rake would not collect,
nor the children pick of, was quietly die
posed u, never more to trouble me, while
Il lay at is winter repOse. The salt had
slain the thief Of my Profits, noiselessly as
the ferret sucks the Iife-blood from the rab-
BIT IN bis retreat and when the first spring.
furFow was turned, the view Of the shriv.
ellsd eneiny-the enemy which had baffled
al my ingenuity and kept my exchequer
low--was cheering indeed. One length aE.
Ger smother Of the sinuOus, wiry werd was
examined, but there was no sign Of life |;
not even at that critical point, the knot,
could detect BY means Of the microscope,
any indications Of vitality. The "foal's
foot, which runs down iar into the sub
stratum, were many Of them dead, though
not I'll. In looking round for the last butter
enproots, also, scarcely any we're to be found,
and glad was, for bother enough they had
been 10 me.
The land then received one or two fhrrows
70 incorporate the salt thoroughly and difIlse
its power bs1efeialIy, 90 that Il might invig-
ofaie etefyuhffe, and yetnot remain In suff-
cieai force many other place TO eudanger the
seed which folluved.
Al the proper season.. and without any
other preparation, the mangnld seed wss
sown, and speedily yegetated. There we're
but few weeds 20 Doe, Tor the salt had attacked
The principle Of vitality IN the Hed Of the
annual, as Il lay secreted IN the c.0d, Is well
as thatof the couch grass, and this Elangold
grew Without let or hindranee TO be finer
ersp than ever before Huugished upon the
same plat Of land. The Collage was thor
oughly vigorous and The bulbs were re.
markably well maturtd and sound. The
weight per acre reached 25 tons. when be-
fore ihs maximum he'd been 20 tons BY the
diduf several Of dung, and an immense
amount Of labor.
1he following year, upon field Of the
same character, tried the same experiment.
varying the cnurse Of management 10 some
degree. lapplied IN October, ~ cwt. Of
salt upon the upturBed and weedy surface
Of that land destined for the rOot-cFop, and
allowed it there to lie and do is silent work
e before, until. in February, the soil was
dfy enough 70 allou u helng Shrked. As
tifed the means. Together with the frOsts
of win;er the salt haa pefk,rmsd wonders
il breaking down the stubbom elods and
compressed. livery furrow slices. The soil
was reduced to powder, and the weeds were
gsuffaIly dead. 80 that the nangold, which
was planted IN finely pulserized seed-bed,
had nothing 70 % hnf TO grow without the
rivalry " veeda--neilher shaded by them
from III san, nor rubbed by them Of the
nnudshment purposely stored f6F their use.
Isaid, however. that introduced some change
fnen ny practice this second time. Thechange
was q f.lows: Just after the lat turrow
Was turned, | sowed four ewt. more salt,
wbich narrowed IN befbre the seed was
dlbh|ed. The result proved the wisdom Of
The addition, have reason to think--i0r the
weeds we're even fcwer. the foliage was finer,
and the bulbs we're lager than in the former
case where ire application Of sat was merely
made in the autumn.
Il strikes me that our mangolds are freed
also ffom another enemy by the use Of salt.
mean inseets. Slugs and wire worm, both
very de,tructive during certain seasons, are