Middletown transcript., 1871-01-28
Ghe 1'arlller.
VALUE or SALE AZ MANURE.

A correspondent of tho IIeacra Rard
seeks information Of tho editor rs to the
value aud use Of salt as fertilizer. &" How
much per acre Wha, Kind Of crops should
it be applied to and ut wha, lime ALSO.
tho results of its application, &c" To
which the editor replies as follows:
The uses Of common salt as a manure
for crops are as follows:
1t supplies soda and chlorine
II attracts moisture and resisis frost.
II is soluble. and is attracted by porous
substances.
Il promotes pairiiaciion when used spar
ingly.
Ii decomposcs with limc and other salts
and forms valuable compounds.
II kills wire worms aud other insects
injurious to agriculture.
Salt used in conjunction with barn yard
manure. has been found to produce
larger crop Of turuips than double the
quantity Of that manure without salt.
Lime and salt promote tho decay Of weeds
and vegetables. aud hastcns tho deeompo-
sition Of turf and peat iu greater degree
v,
Gypsum and salt mixed. form an excel
lent manure. Liebg says; Common
salt enables the plant to extract its sui
phur from the ground, where il hns exist
cd as sulphate Of lime
The seed Of the cereal AMI leguminous
crop is much improved In size aud color
by the jndicioas application Ct salt L;
acts well in conjunction with ammoniaeal
manures; the proportion should be three
times ne much salt. as they contain salts
of ammonia. The salt gyus strength and
solidity 10 the stem and grain, while the
size and luxurianec of that plant is in
creased by the amnoni-.
II Is to BE- regretted that greater num-
Der Of experiments with salt, m a manure.
are nos tried annually in the United States,
as tho refuse of sal, works aud of beef and
pork packing establishment $ can be OBJ
tained in many plaees for a mere trine
Michigan produces salt and gypsum in
large quantities ,nannres which are ex-
cecdingly useful when applied separately
or in conjunction. We hope that nunier-
Gus experiments will be tried this year
with these fertilizers.
A farmer. in England. who has becn
for many years using salt extensively. as
n manure for various crops says that he
applies it as tor-drcssing for all his grain
crops in the month of April or May, rs
the season may be. by sowing broadcast
three to four ewt. per acre. taking care to
do this after sunset. II the young plants
should appear sickly and turn yellow, it is
a sign that the wire-worms or grubs are
making inroais upon them. aud he has
slways found tho application Of sal. to ex-
terminate these destructive insects.
lie says that the yield Of wheat per
acre Is four bushels more from the salted
thnn from the unsalted land, when all
other circumstances havo been precisely
the same; and ftom the salted land. he
gets much bolier. brighter, and heavier
sample Of wheat. and the crop has been
entirely free from rust. blight. or smut.
TO fallow. Lc applies from seven hun
dred to one thousand pounds per acre.
eown broadcast, rs much before the time
Of sowing the seed as circumstances will
permit. in order that the salt may, in the
different workings of the land. get thor
ougbly Incorporated with the soil. and
then he finds tina, hnr,ful insects will not
generate IN it.
He applies from seYen TO ten cwt. of
salt per acre. in December or january. to
land intended for potatoes. In abou. two
monihs afterwards. he dresses the land
with lime. and in the proper time prepares
The soil for the seed by deep plowing, har-
rowing. and rolling. the opening Of drills.
and the spreading Of manure in them af-
terths seed has bcen deposited. then clos
Ing tho dTills aud rolling. He gets ex-
ceIlbnt crops Of Of potatoes by this man.