The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-11-17


was at the rate of $50 bushels per acre. From
five to twelve days work was put to each
plat, or forty to ninety-siX days per acre.
Salt as n Fertilizer.
A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man writes: Very conflicting statements
are made by those who have experimental
with common salt as a fertilizer. While
some claim that 1t works wonders, increas-
ing both the quantity and quality of their
crops others affirm that it does no good
and others still say that il is positive dam
age. 1t is pity that so valuable fertilizer
as salt should be so generally discarded be-
cause in some localities and on some crops
il has failed. The explanation OF the failure
is not difficult Salt enters into the compo-
sition of every splant but analysis shows
that while il abounds in some, only trace
can be found in others. Thus in beets salt
constitutes nearly third of the ash; in the
ash of the potato about per cent; of the
carrot per cent. or the parsnip per cent,
and of the roots generally 1t may be said
that salt is a prominent constituent. In
tobacco also salt plays a prominent part
constituting about per cent. of its ash. In
asparagus and cabbages salt is as manifest as
in tobacco The grains show less salt than
roots or green crops, but in all grain there
is trace of salt, and in the leaves and
stalks there is generally about three times
as much as in the kernels. The grasses vary
greatly in the amount of salt which their
ash furnishes, perennial rye grass showing
the most, 7.25 per cent. In the ash of some
salt is less than l per cent. All, however,
show more or less; orchard grass showing 4
per cent, timothy 81 per cent. and white
clover nearly per cent. 1t is very mani
fest from these facts that salt is much better
adapted to some crops than to others, and
hence the failure when applied to some, and
success when applied to others.
Another reason for the varying results of
different experiments is found in the fact
that different soils naturally contain differ
ent quantities of salt. If there is already
sufficient of this material, an application of
more will do no good, and may do hurt, as
salt is an acrid compound, and in excess
will destroy all vegetation. Now, there are
localities in which it would be folly to at
tempt an increase of fertility by an applica-
ton of salt. Such are all lands bordering
on the sea, or even affected by the winds of
the sea, for the spray of the ocean rises high
in the air, and is borne farther inland than
is commonly supposed. OF course a soil
over which mineral waters have been diff
fused, or one formed by the disinte
grafton of saline rocks, needs no
farther enrichment by salt. No wonder
that experimenters in this fertilizer differ
when the demand of different soils for it
in agriculture from time immemOrial, and
with almost an unvarying success, as has
been the case with plaster (gypsuml or
most of the commercial fertilizers, and it is
a pity to see it thrown out of the back doors
of groceries as useless when so much land is
suffering for the want of it. In the Bible it
is said that salt which has lost its SAVIOR is
neither fit for the land nor the dunghill. 1t
is evidently implied that sound salt is good
for the land and should be used in the COM
post heap. There is no doubt of this, and
the testimony of ages from Cato's day to
the present, should not be annulled by a
few experimenters who have condemned its
use after trial under unfavorable circum-
stances.
As some farmers want facts, / will add
that have used salt n fertilizer for
score of years, and with uniformly good
success, especially upon cabbage and pota-
toes. Applied at the rate of three or four
bushels TO the acre on pasture land, it gave
the grass luXuriant growth and deep green
color, at the same time eXterminating weeds.
Cattle evidently preferred the grass grown
on the salted portions of the pasture, proba-
bly, because il contained more salt. 1t is
we'll known that the quantity in plants
varies with its abundance in the soil, and
that seldom does vegetation furnish suf-
ficient to satisfy the demands of our domes-
tic animals Wheat and other grains do
not appear to be SO much benefited by salt
except in the strength which it gives to the
and therefore inclined to fall, are specially
benefited.
The following is the result cf an expert
ment by Mr.. johnson, author of the Farm
er's Encyclopedia, in the use of salt on po-
tatoes: Produce per acre, without fertilizer
of any kind. 40 bushels; with twenty
bushels of salt per acre. 1872 bushels; with
twenty loads of stable manure, 2l9 bushels;
with twenty loads of manure and twenty
bushels of salt, 234 bushels. Here the in
crease of seventy-two bushels from the use
of salt alone shows that it pays on some
lands, and very possibly it would have paid
still more if Mr.. Johnson had used only
half rs much, for salt is a fertilizer that re-
quires to be applied in homeopathic doses.
These successful experiments might be null
tipled indefinitely, but they would only
prove that salt is good fertilizer for some
soils and some crops, and, as they can be
offset by some failures the conclusion
is that there is some virtue in salt,
but that the experimenter should feel
his way in the use of it till he finds whether
his lands are salt-hungry.
AS to the modes of applying SALT it can be
sown broadcast like plaster, if fine, but if
coarse, it had better be mixed with compost,
as the large crystals may prove too big
dose for the plants on which it may fall.
Indeed, prefer composing il in all cases,
as there is less danger of an overdose. 1t is
sometimes recommended TO apply it directly
TO the hills of corn and cabbages at planting,
so as to keep off cut-worms, but it is too
acrid for such direct contact with tender
roots, unless mixed in small quantity with
ashes or plaster After potatoes are cut for
planting they can be put in barrels and
quart of fine salt mixed with four quarts
of plaster be spread over each barrel
and shaken down among the potatoes
to great advantage. This prevents the pieces
from drying up before planting. from rot
ting after being planted, and gives wonder
full start to the young shoots. A quart of
salt TO a barrel of potatoes may seem insig-
nificant, but from an experience of twenty
years can confidently recommend it. If