Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-04
SILT or No Salt,

A writer in the American Frmer gives
bis experience in sailing cattle as follows:
al have been engaged in farming for
more than twenty years, and during the
first half of the lime followed the instruc-
tons received in youth, without so much
as daring to question their expediency;
but about ten or twelve years ago the idea
occurred 10 me that the advantages to be
derived from sailing might be imaginary.
or might at least be counterbalanced by
the expense and loss of time incurred and
abruptly discontinued the practice, and
have not since resumed it, and have no
reason to suppose that shall.
About a year after leaving off | was
visited by an old gentleman who had fol-
many years been farmer, who was very
fond of cattle, and enjoyed the reputation
Of being good Judge of stock. After
inspecting my herd. consisting of about
sixty, he expressed great satisfaction, and
said that had the best looking cattle
hat he had seen that spring In answer
to the query: DO you know the reason
Of their good condition. he replied, Yes,
YOU salt regularly | confess that it gave
me no little pleasure to be able to assure
him they had not tasted the article foT
more than twelve months. As this old
gentleman is one of the firm believers in
salt, having both received the theory from
mis- ancestors and been pretty industrious
also in handing it down, have not since
heard any illusions from him in regard tt
The condition of my stock, but | often
receive remarks equally complimentary
from neighbors."
Mr.. Thomas j. Hand, u noted breeder
of Jerseys in West Chester county, New
York, says in the Monthly Bulletin:
81 have given my cattle no salt fol-
several years while on grass-but the
pastures have been dressed with a mixture
containing some sulphate of scotland
none in winter except what they got il
the hay, which had been moderatly saltcf
when put into the barn. Toward the enC
of the past winter, however, they seemed
TO relish better, and to eat cleaner theil
scalded feed of chaffed corn fodder, brar
and meal, when little salt was added II!
Il condiment."
So much for salt for animals. Som,
months ago we published a Statement
taken from Il western exchange, giving al
account of Il heavy dressing Of salt applied
to a moving field through the blunder o
II hired man, but which, instead of KILN;
all the vegetation on the field, actuall
appeared to be benefit 10 it for severl
years. Mr.. Thomas Proctor, of Wrentham
Mass, recently related to us II bit of hi
experience in the use Of large quantilie
of salt upon an asparagus bed. lie has
bed some ten by fifteen feet square, upo
which, for the past fourteen years, he hi,
spread at the rate of two and half tons G
salt per acre every year. Ten years ag
IN apple tree sprung up from II see
carried on to the asparagus bed in tn
manure, and, as an experiment to test tn
effect Of salt, it was allowed to grow. MI
Proctor presuming that such heavy annu;
applications of salt would soon save hin
Any trouble with the tree. But ten year
have passed and now this is the mo,
thrifty and healthy looking tree on til
place.
This experiment does not, as som
might suppose, prove anything in favor {
the use of salt in an orchard, for there
probably, not another spot on the farr
that has been otherwise SO well manure
as this, during these fourteen years. but
would seem to show that thirty five ton
of salt to the acre is not enough to XII
trees in an apple orrhard.-Nee0 Eng'an
Euy,uer