Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-05-01
Salt for Gardens.

u
A correspondent of the Lon
d on Cottage Gardener discours-
es of the use of salt in the cult
walton Of garden crops. Its prin-
cipal use in gardens has been in
the destruction of weeds, for it is
well known that in large quanti-
ty it is destructive to vegetable
life; hence it is employed for
scattering over walks, or they
are watered with strong, solu-
ton of salt, to destroy the weeds
and moss appearing ON them
On the other hand, in moderate
quantities its application is at
tended with very satisfactory re-
suits; for as remarked by Mr..
johnson in the Silence and Prac-
tice Of Gardening, ssThe day has
long passed when it was disputed
whether saline bodies are promo
tive of vegetable grotli. 1T is now
determined that some plants
will not even live without the
means of procuring certain
salts"
Although salt or salinee mat
tiers, enters into the composition
of all plants, is evident, from
the experiments made by DIR.
Voelcker, that the application of
a quantity OF salt which proves
beneficial to one kind of plant
will be injurious to another.
This he demonstrated by water
ing plants with water holding
varied proportions of salt, and it
is a remarkable fact that to m ost
of the crops of the horticulturist
even in very strong solutions it
did not prove injurious. Even
at the rate of twenty-four grains
to pint it "decidedly benefit
ted radishes, onions, lentila, and
cabbages," but "plants of Sweet
Vernal Grass were killed by
solution containing twenty grains
of salt per pint, after a lapse of
one month" 1Grasses are affec-
ted by salt more readily than
any of the plants experimental
upon.
We may, therefore, conclude
that salt in certain quantity is
beneficial to most vegetable crops
for we have radishes or raphanee,
crambe (sea-kale), brassica, in
Guiding onions, leeks, and aspar-
ugus, and l may add, many of
our most beautiful, most bulbus
plants, and those with succulent
leaves. DR.. Voelcker remarks,
aBuldous plants and plants with
succulent sleaves are especially
benefited by the application Of
salt;n also lentils, peas and beans,
and may we not safely include
all the other Leguminose, or pod
bearers, as the dwarf kidney
bean scarlet runner.
DR.. Voelcker mentions the
thistle as being benefited by
salt, and we may consider the
Globe artichoke and cardoon to
be equally so. Mr.. johnson
completes the list on the authori-
ty of Saussure-yiz: beet root, rhu-
barb, potatoes, Jerusalem arti-
choke, carrot, probably also the
parsnip and celery, as these two
belong to the same natural or
der; so that salt is beneficial to
every kind ofvegetable crop.
Of the value Of salt there can
be no doubt; in fact, from its ap
plication this season, have come
the conclusion that to the gar
dener it is one of the most valu-
able of manures. / have come
to regard it as not only valuable,
or, as tated by Mr.. Thompson in
Gardeners Assistant, necessary
addition to the soil wherever
marine plants, or such as natur
ally grow near the sea are cult
vated;;" but to all, except it be
grasses; and even to these in
small quantity, or less than for
other plants, it is very beneficial.
For some fruit trees it seems not
to be so desirable as for others
for instance the apricot, apple
and cherry, but the peach, the
pear and the plum are benefit
ted by it.-Ohio Farmer.