American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-03
Salt-Its Value in Agriculture.

COMMON salt, although one of the most
ancient minerals used in agriculture, is al
most ignored by our American farmers.
Even within the past few years few men
have attempted to show that it was not
beneficial to our farm stock. We have,
however, sufficient charity to believe that
some of the writers for the agricultural
press who denounced the use of salt were
honest in expressing their opinions, but at
the same time ignorant of the great value
of this substance. If history teaches us
anything in regard to agriculture, it is
that in every country and among all
nations wherever husbandry has reached
a very high position, there salt has been
extensively used and highly appreciated.
Dickinson in his husbandry of the an
clients, says that the Romans prepared
straw for cattle food by sleeping it for a
considerable time in brine, and then dry
ing it and rolling it up in bundles. In
some parts of Africa, large herds of cattle
travel from great distances at stated sea-
sons, to feed on the marine plants
which grow on the sea coast and
are saturated with salt. We also
know that the buffalo and deer
frequent ponds of brackish water as well
as salt springs. This natural desire for
salt is no morbid, acquired taste, as few
would-be-wise writers have frequently as
serted, but it is in obedience to "A natural
law: or in other words, the instincts of
these animals lead them to partake of
saline substances in order to ward off dis
eases. Domesticatcd animals need salt even
more than those in wild state, inasmuch
as the food given them usually contains
less saline properties than the wild grasses.
Salt gives relish to grasses, hay and
other kinds of raw food, and it acts uni
| versally as a stimulus to digestion. 1t
gives tone to the stomach when impaired
by an excess of food or labor. Expert
enced herdsmen have always found that it
acts as vermifugc, destroying intestinal
parasites, and it is well known to be
powerful agent in tanning and overcoming
| the natural timidity of animals. 1t is also
well known that salt is an excellent abater
Ofinternal as well asOutward inflammation;
it improves the quality of the eXcrement
| of animals for the purpose of manure.
| But in its internal uses, whether as CON
diment or medicine, it should be admin
| istered in small doses If animals are
| constantly allowed access to salt they will
not consume too much for their good, but
when it is given them at intervals of once
| or twice n week, a small handful is suffi-
cient for horse or COW. In fattening
| calves that are weaned and fed upon
| Cruel OF other semi-liquid food, salt in
small quantities should always be given,
not only to prevent Sickness but to enable
the animal to relish the somewhat unnatu-
raj food. Salt also in moderate quantities
promotes the health of hogs. A table
spoonful once in twenty-four hours mixed
with the food of each hog will not only
aid in the thorough digestion of the
food, but insure perfect health. We
have not the least doubt of the eff
| cheney of salt in preventing many of
| the diseases which have made such
havoc among swine in portions of the
country during the past few years When
| the use of salt was first introduced into
| the piggcrics of Ireland, it was claimed
that hogs fattcned on about onc-half the
food that was required without it, simply
in consequence of improved or more thor
ough digestion Were it necessary, we
might quote from hundreds of our great
| est agricultural authorities to show the
benefits which may he derived from the
free use of salt among our domestic ami
| mails One of the best known means both
as preventive and cure of foot rot among
| sheep, is the scattering of salt over the in
| fcctcd land.
| SALT FOR DESTROYING INSECTS.
II has long been known that salt
operates fatally upon nearly all cold
blooded animals that live upon land or in
fresh water. Sir John Sinclair many
| years ago said that in Scotland, where the
oat crop was frequently destroyed by
grubs, it had long been the practice to
mix salt with seed in the proportion of
one to thirtytwo, but sometimes one to
sixteen. If we scatter salt upon land in
tested with vcrmin it destroys them, and
their bodies become the food of plants.
Great care should be taken in applying
salt upon growing crops, as too much IS