Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-01-22


ToP-DREssINGs AND SALT.-Great mistaken
are sometimes made by the use of nitrate OF
soda alone on poor lands rs a top dressing. II
contains very few elements of manure, there
fore he intensely green and improved color Of
the crop Is delusive, which have 0bsei we'd, and
this Is also the opinion of Boron Lebig (see hi,
Modern Agriculture, 4" letter 4, p. 53). much
prefer and always use the best Peruvian guano,
mixed well with lis own weight Of common
salt, Tor In this mixture you have nearly all the
elements OF plants, excepting potash aad silica
A comparative trial In the same field will give
satisfactory evidence when the crop is harvest
ed. With nitrate Of soda the growth of straw
is forced, and 1t is often widowed. There are
cases where nitrate of soda Is advantageous, such
as on soils Astounding in phosphate of lime and
other fertile elements.
Common salt | have used much the last
twenty-five years, and am convinced of its ad-
vantages on drained and we'll farmed land. es-
pecially on light land ; for where salt is u sed
the moisture OF the air will be more abundantly
appropriated and retained. About five clock
one line summers morning,I noticed that where
the salt had been sown the previous dav, every
grain OF salt had attracted to itself the dew and
formed on the surface Of the ground wet spo,
about the size of sixpence, the ground being
generally very dry. On our light lands IL con-
solidates them, aud makes them espo cially firir
and acceptable to the wheat plant, whose straw
VIII STAND firIn and erect, although Al to feel
| long. 1t is also unfavorable to certain weeds
by this consideration. IL Is especially favora
Dla TO saline plants, such as mangnld, whose
ashes contain fifty per cent. of salt. / never
sow gnano, except mixed with Its own weight
Of salt. Like everything else it has am sorry
TO say, greatly risen la price. observe tha
all crops seem TO thrive well OH land pear sal
water, especially where the latd is drained, -
| Lunps OF rock salt should always be placed In
managers for horses or cattle their instinct
/ teaches them when 10 avail OF II. The spring
consolidation Of light land, where wheat 4
sown, by sailing and heavy Crosskillng, greatl,
benefits the crop; very light hand-hoelng should
follow these Operations, although frequent hoe
ing Is scarcely required. Liebg in his sNatu.
raj Laws Of Husoandry," chap. xii, p. 1875
Correctly describes nitrate of soda aud common
salt as "chanlcal means for preparing the soil
iteierring to the experiments, he says Up. 337)
'ln both these series of experiments, the crop.
oi corn and straw were remarkably increased
ny the addition Of common salt; and II Is scarce
~ necessary To repeat that such all augmeuta
tlon could not possibly have taken place uni les
the soil had contained certain quantity O
phosphoric acid, potash etc, capable OF bein,
brought into operation, but which, wtlhou
common salt, was not assimilable." Leb
also says Up. 340) THE grass of meadow
which has boen MANFRED with on salt |
eaten by cattle with greater relish, and prefer
red TO any other so that even from this poiu
OF view common salt deserves attention as
manure -. J. Mechi