Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-06-20
IRASBURGH, VERMONT FRIDAY JUNE 20, 1862.

dren pick off, was quietly disposed of
never more to trouble me, while it lay a
its winter repose.
The salt has slain the thief of my pro.
fits, noiselessly as the ferret sucks the
lfe-blood from the rabbit in its retreat
and when the first spring furrow was
turned, the view of the shrivelled enemy
the enemy which had baflled all my
ingenuity and kept my exehequer low
was cheering indeed. One length after
another Of the sinuous, wiry weed, was
examined, but there was no sign Of life
not even at that critical point, the knot
could | detect, by the means of the mi
croscope, any indication OF vitality. The
"foal's foot" which runs far down into
the substratum, were many of them
dead, though not all. In looking for the
buttercup root, also, scarcely any were
to be found, and glad | was, for bother
enough they had been to me.
The land then received one or two
burrows to incorporate the salt thorough
ly, and diffuse its power benefcially, so
that it might invigorate everywhere, and
yet rot remain in sufficient force any
where to endanger the seed which fol-
lowed.
AT the proper season, and without any
other preparation the MangeI seed was
sown, and speedily vegetated. There
were but few weeds to hoe, for the salt
had attacked the principal vitality in the
seed of the annual, as it lay secreted in
the clod, as well as that of the Couch
Grass, and the Mangles grew to finer
crop than ever before fourished upon
the same plot of land. The bulbs were
matured and sound. The weight per
acre reached 25 tons, when before, the
maximum had been 20 tons-by the aid
of several loads of dung and an immense
amount of labor.
The following year upon field ofthe
same character, | tried the same expert
ment, varying the course of management
in some degree. l applied, in October,
u cwt., of salt upon the upturned and
weedy surface Of the land destined for
the root crop, and allowed it there to lie
and do its silent work as before, until in
February the soil was dry enough to ad-
init of being worked. AS in the first in
stance the result perfectly justified the
means. Together with the frosts of win
ter, the salt had performed wonders in
breaking down the stubborn clods and
compressed livery furrow slices. The
soil was reduced to powder, and the
weeds were generally dead, so that the
mangel, which was planted in finely
pulverized seed bed, had nothing to do
but grow without the rivalry of weeds
neither shaded by them from the sun,
nor robbed by them of the nourishment
purposely stored for their use. said,
however, that | introduced some change
into my practice this second time. The
change was as follows: Just after the
last furrow was turned, l sowed 4 cwt
which narrowed in before the seed was
dibbled. The result proved the wisdom
of the addition, l have reason to think
for the weeds were even fewer, the foli-
age of the Mangel was finer, and the
bulbs were larger than in the former case,
where the application Of salt was merely
made in the autumn.
1t strikes me that our Mangel5 are
freed also from another enemy by the
use of salt. mean insects. Slugs aud
wire worm, both very destructive during
certain seasons, are certainly bani5hed
By salt, if not killed.-RuraI Nel0 York
er.