The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-06-21

Mr.: G. Z Hswes says IN the cosas


Mr.. G. Z. Hewes says in the Country
GeNtkeRsGa:
II do not think that in itself salt 10 .
very great fertilizer. It's chief value IN
that direction Eas in It's absorbing power.
Much prejadice has existed IN regard TO
its use, based upon che erroneous idea
that e kills every green thing thas Il
touches. When have advised farmers
to SOW it on their meadows when worms
were working badly among the roots, /
have almost always bean met with the re-
mark that it will kill the grass This
notice probably grows out of the fact
that when cattle have been saIted on
grass ground, . bare spot is to be seen
where the salt fell, and the conclusions
have been jumped at that the salt killed
the grass, but slight examination would
have shown that it was not caused by the
salt, bat was gnawed bare by the cattle,
in their unsatis6ed longing for more salt
Every one who has paid attention has
noticed . most luxuriant growth of dark
green grass, Immediately encircling this
bare spot It q noticeable fact, that,
where sailing is done in this way the
rankest growth of grass is where the salt
is scattered in falling from the hand
around where the bulk is thrown. A
writer who signs himself S. says, in speak
ing of the effect of salt on grass that he
applied liberal dressing Of salt on his
gravel walks, which killed the sorrel and
chickweed, but the blue grasses and clover
were uninjured till he doubled the dose.
Afterward he applied dressing Of salt
upon portions of his lawn overrun with
sorrel, but left the grass uninjured.'
When farming, my practice was to apply
one barrel per acre on meadows, and |
should sooner double the dose than ap-
ply less l applied the same quantity to
my pastures. My experience in the use
of salt leads me to the following conclu-
sions:
1t keeps the land cool and moist it
neutralixes drought; it exterminates all
soil vermin; it prevents potato rot; it
glAzes and stiffens straw; prevents crink-
ling and rust it keeps the ground in
such condition that the berry of all kinds
of grain fills plumply, however long con-
tinued the hot and dry weather may be.
But the results will not be obtained by
using only handful it must be liberal
ly applied and until the result is obtained.
My own practice was to apply two barrels
per acre to all the land | ploughed, and
to make that application every spring for
three consecutive years, when it was
seeded for meadow; so that in twenty
four months l applied six barrels to each
acre. think this quantity sufficient, as
it produced the results have stated in
my conclusions, but | will double the
quantity rather than use less, for do not
think it would do any harm to the desired
crop. No one should look for the results
I have named who uses less than the
quantity stated. Gardens should be salt
ed very literally, for by so doing you will
have no worm-eaten radishes, maggoty
onions, clnb foot cabbages, or any other
vegetable grown in it injured by worms,
grubs, or any vermin that infest the soil.
Every one who raises asparagus knows
the necessity Of using salt ab.ndantly.
One can scarcely use too much.
Many who grow cabbage know its
value when applied to the roots or grow
ing head but every one does not know
that growing onions may be buried under
salt, leaving only the tops out, and that
the onion will grow thriftily, while all
m32XOtS OF WOTtuS Will Qic Ut OiSAppc1E
yet such is the fact. Salt mixed with
wood ashes, in proportion of one Of salt to
four of ashes applied at the rate of hand
full to the centre of each hill of corn inn
mediately after planting, will supersede
the use of scarecrows and coal tar, as no
worms or crows will touch it, beside Civ
ing the fertilizing properties of the COM
pound
GA friend who had broken up four
acres of sward upon which to plant corn
found it to be so very wormy that he
dared not plant until gave him the
above recipe, which he used after plant
ing. In the fall he told me that although
his lot had woods on three sides of it, he
did not lose q single hill by worms or
crows. This fact is worth remembering.
The action of salt on the green leaf is one
thing, but its action on the 70 OTIS or plants
when Incorporated with the soil is quite
auofhnpn